A chemical found in nail polish was detected in the bodies of women who voluntarily painted their fingernails as part of a study conducted by Duke University and EWG researchers.
Triphenyl phosphate, or TPHP, was found in eight of 10 polishes tested by the researchers, and detected in all of the study participants who painted their nails, according to the report issued by Duke and EWG. It is also used in plastics manufacturing.
Researchers said these results are compelling evidence that TPHP enters the body through nail polish, and "are troubling because a growing body of scientific data from other studies indicates that TPHP causes endocrine disruption, meaning that it interferes with normal hormone functioning," the report said. "In animal studies, it has caused reproductive and developmental irregularities."
TPHP has also been called "TPP" in some studies.
EWG's Skin Deep database lists 49 percent of 3,000 nail polishes tested as containing TPHP. The report said some polishes contain the chemical but do not disclose it.
