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(Ivanhoe Newswire) – For the first time, research is connecting a common household chemical to breast development. The research focused on butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP). BBP is a plasticizer and is found in household items such as pipes, vinyl floor tiles and carpet backing.

Investigators from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and the University of Alabama in Birmingham fed lactating rats BBP and then their offspring absorbed it via breast milk. The offspring ingested a level of BBP that is equivalent to the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe dose limit.

Researcher report the female offspring had changes happen because of the BBP. Specifically, it affected the development of the mammary gland in rats. Study authors say the changes wore off once the BBP exposure was stopped, but they say the changes in the mammary gland could have effects later in life.

They say this type of chemical is an endocrine disruptor, which mimics the effect of hormones. Study authors say more research is needed to see if the presence of BBP could lead to breast cancer.

SOURCE: BMC Genomics; 2007

This entry was posted on Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer / Oncology, Medical News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.