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A new study by Silent Spring Institute has identified hundreds of chemicals commonly used in pesticide products that could increase the risk of breast cancer. The list includes active pesticide ingredients as well as a significant number of so-called "inert" or inactive ingredients, which typically do not undergo the same level of safety testing.

"Our findings highlight a regulatory blind spot around so-called inert ingredients," says lead author Dr. Jennifer Kay, a research scientist at Silent Spring. "When we think about pesticide safety, we tend to focus on the active ingredient. But people are exposed to the entire formulation, and our findings show that many of those other chemicals may also pose a risk."

The findings, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, are part of a larger systematic analysis—the first of its kind—to identify where potential breast cancer-causing chemicals ("BC-Chems") show up in everyday consumer products, the environment and the economy, as well as the major sources of exposure.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and worldwide, with rates continuing to rise. Rates are rising fastest among women under 40, many of whom are diagnosed with breast cancer before routine screening is recommended, suggesting that increased screening cannot explain the steep rise in cases. Growing evidence points to environmental exposures as an important contributing factor.

In 2024, Kay and her colleagues published a study identifying more than 900 chemicals that may increase breast cancer risk based on their ability to cause mammary tumors in animals or disrupt hormones in ways that promote breast cancer.

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