How everyday cosmetic chemicals may affect women's fertility
Official title: Mapping the cosmetic chemical exposome and its role in female fertility
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11473950 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether chemicals from cosmetics appear in blood and ovarian fluid and link to fertility in women trying to have children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,942 |
| NIH project number | 4R00ES036289-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473950 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women of reproductive age, especially those undergoing fertility care or IVF who can provide blood and follicular fluid samples and report their cosmetic product use.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not trying to conceive, are not of reproductive age, or cannot provide clinical samples (for example, those not undergoing fertility procedures) are unlikely to directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
Researchers will measure thousands of environmental chemicals and natural metabolites at once using high-resolution mass spectrometry in blood and the fluid that surrounds eggs (follicular fluid). They will combine those chemical profiles with information about cosmetic use and clinical fertility measures such as oocyte counts and pregnancy outcomes. By comparing chemical patterns with ovarian health biomarkers and fertility results, the team aims to find molecular pathways that could explain reduced ovary function. The work builds on earlier pilot data and seeks to point to common exposure sources and opportunities to prevent harm.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify specific cosmetic-related chemicals that harm fertility and inform ways to reduce exposure or guide clinical advice for women trying to conceive.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked a few known chemicals to poorer ovarian outcomes, but large untargeted exposomics in follicular fluid is relatively new and has only shown early promising results.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Young, Anna Swift — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Young, Anna Swift
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.