Nail polish makers have abandoned some toxic ingredients for years, they say, but a new scientific study has revealed a new substance that is likely to be toxic and is believed to be linked to serious health consequences, some of which are linked to cancer.At the beginning of the century, manufacturers began gradually excluding three toxic chemicals from nail polish: formaldehyde, toluene, and biphenyl phthalates.
But these chemicals have been replaced in many products with other substances, triphhenyl phosphate, which are also potentially toxic.
The European Union banned the use of the substance in cosmetics in 2004, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday.
The team said the US Food and Drug Administration requires companies to write ingredients on nail polish, but does not require that the product undergo tests to verify that it is safe to use before being put on the market.
The researchers added that certain chemicals could be listed as "perfume" for reasons of industry secrets.
The stickers carried by nail polish products are not always accurate.
