A study has been released showing that butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) may interfere with the development of healthy breast tissue.

Environmental activists are now up in arms, calling for the chemical ? used in the cosmetics industry to make products glossy ? to be banned.

BBP is part of a family of synthetic chemicals called phthalates that mimic estrogen, a female sex hormone. Phthalates are used to soften plastics, and are found in food packaging, toys, carpets, and solvents. Despite their wide use, phthalates have been linked by prior studies to birth defects, kidney problems, and infertility. In Europe, phthalates are banned in various baby products such as teething rings.

The study linking BBP to the interference of healthy breast tissue was performed by scientists at the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The researchers claim BBP, which builds up in fat cells, increases the risk of breast cancer.

The scientists fed lactating rats with BBP. The chemical was then absorbed by offspring via breast milk.

The scientists found the chemical modified the genetic make-up of the young female rats? mammary glands, and the effects wore off when BBP was removed from their diet.

?This is an indication that the same could happen in humans. Even if an individual is exposed to it in the beginning of life, BBP can cause alterations later in life,? says team leader Dr. Jose Russo.

Source: David Derbyshire,” Is Your Lipstick Giving You Cancer,? Daily Mail (U.K.), December 6, 2007.