Phthalate and Organophosphate Plasticizers in Nail Polish: Evaluation of Labels and Ingredients

Details

• Personal Author:
  Allen JG ; Ceballos, Diana M. ; Kannan K ; Kim U-J ; Seller S ; Webster TF ; Young AS
• Description:
  In the 2000s, nail polish manufacturers started promoting "3-Free" products, phasing out three widely publicized toxic chemicals: toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DnBP). However, DnBP was sometimes replaced by another endocrine-disrupting plasticizer, triphenyl phosphate (TPHP). Many new "n-Free" labels have since appeared, without any standardization on which n chemicals are excluded. This study aimed to compare measured plasticizer content against nail polish labels. First, we summarized definitions of labels. Then, we measured 12 phthalate and 10 organophosphate plasticizers in 40 nail polishes from 12 brands selected for popularity and label variety. We found labels ranging from 3- to 13-Free; 10-Free was the most inconsistently defined (six definitions). Our samples contained TPHP and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) at up to 7940 and 331 ug/g, respectively. The 5- to 13-Free samples had lower TPHP levels than unlabeled or 3-Free samples (median <0.002 vs 3730 ug/g, p < 0.001). The samples that did not contain TPHP had higher DEHP levels (median 68.5 vs 1.51 ug/g, p < 0.05). We measured plasticizers above 100 µg/g in five brands that did not disclose them and in two that excluded them in labels. This study highlights inconsistencies in nail polish labels and identifies TPHP and DEHP as ingredient substitutes for DnBP. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cosmetics Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Phthalic Acids Safety
• Keywords:
  Dibutyl Phthalate Nail Technicians Occupational Exposure Organic Compounds Phthalates Triphenyl Phosphate
• ISSN:
  0013-936X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; New York ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  21
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059438
• Citation:
  Environ Sci Technol 2018 Nov; 52(21):12841-12850
• Contact Point Address:
  Jessica A. Craig, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
• Email:
  ayoung@mail.harvard.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Dibutyl phthalate (CAS RN 84-74-2) ; Dioctyl phthalate (CAS RN 117-81-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Science and Technology
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a84035d1ca4c8ba8cd274cbc6ed3733289f7623c4ff362c08c6819abc46ccb1f7450f3f8b398dfab65ad1758efbefef923f7d232465f30ed415d12d2b6361c96
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223677/cdc_223677_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.65 MB ]