State regulators try to ban chemical in nail polish it says is hazardous

A dangerous chemical could be eliminated from nail polishes sold in California under a plan announced on Friday in San Francisco.

State regulators declared that the solvent known as toluene, which has been associated with birth defects, miscarriages and organ damage, is a “priority product” for regulation. Within four years, under the state plan, manufacturers could be ordered to stop including toluene in polishes and other nail products.

“The industry has known for a long time that toluene is a problematic chemical,” said Meredith Williams, acting director of the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.

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