Everyday exposure to a chemical ingredient used to preserve many cosmetics and soften plastics like those used in baby toys may contribute to sperm damage in adult men, according to a study published on Monday.
In one of the first trials asserting the effects of the chemical, phthalates, on humans, Harvard University researchers found signs of correlation between exposure to the chemical and damage to the DNA of human sperm.
The study, published in the government journal Environmental Health Perspectives, does not show whether this DNA damage could cause any reproductive harm, the researchers stressed.
Last month the US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, an industry-sponsored watchdog, sparked fury from health and environmental lobbyists when it voted to allow the continued use of three phthalates in perfumes and beauty products, saying the chemicals were safe in their current uses.
Phthalates, used to make fragrances last longer and to soften plastics, have been linked in previous studies to birth defects in animals although no evidence proved they are harmful to humans.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2002)
