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Common plastics and cosmetics could be behind the increasing rate of early puberty in girls, a new study has suggested.
American girls are getting their first period at just 11.9 years old, with 16 percent starting before the age of 11.
This carries a risk of hormone-related cancers later in life; girls who start their period before age 12 have a 23 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who start at 15, according to a 2016 study published in the Korean Journal of Pediatrics.
Now, research has suggested that girls with higher levels of bisphenol A and benzophenones in their urine are more likely to experience precocious puberty—puberty that begins too soon—or early breast development.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a component of plastics and epoxy-phenolic resins, and benzophenones are ultraviolet filters.
The study was carried out on 310 girls from six hospitals across Spain, and found that the risk of early puberty increased by 44 percent for every twofold increase in BPA, and tripled for every such increase of benzophenones.
Researchers analyzed urine samples from 182 girls aged between 4 and 8 who had been diagnosed with precocious puberty, early breast development and other early puberty-related conditions, as well as the urine samples of 128 girls who had not been diagnosed with the conditions.
It found that everyday pollutants could have hormonal effects on girls. Chemicals found in the environment, including food and everyday products such as plastics, food packaging and cosmetics, can interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system, which regulates puberty.
Endocrine disruptors—particularly BPA and benzophenones—are known to have hormonal activity similar to estrogen, which could accelerate female sexual development.
Along with the marked increase in early puberty for the presence of BPA and benzophenones, when analyzing the combined mixture of phenols and metals, the risk increased by 20 percent. BPA was found to be the contaminant that contributes most to this effect.
Precocious puberty is already mentally difficult for a young child to go through; in girls, symptoms include breast growth and first period, public and underarm hair, rapid growth, acne, and adult body odor.
Girls are more likely than boys to have precocious puberty, and carrying extra weight can also increase the risk, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Previous research has also found a link between precocious puberty and psychological problems alongside the risk of physical diseases. Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer throughout the woman’s lifespan, as well as delinquency and risky sexual behavior.
Research into the causes of precocious puberty has been limited, but researchers believe the new study—which analyses several substances in combination—has been able to provide new data.
The European Union banned the use of BPA in food-contact materials, including tins and plastics, in January 2025; however, researchers found that the sources of exposure were highly diverse, and there is no certainty that current levels are still safe for children.
In the United States, legislation brought by Democratic representatives in June 2026 sought to ban what they have described as “dangerous toxic chemicals from food packaging and food processing materials.”
The No Toxics in Food Packaging Act would ban the use of several classes of chemicals in food packaging and food-processing materials that lawmakers and health advocates say pose significant risks to human health.
Bisphenols, including BPA, would be targeted by the ban, as well as other chemicals that have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other adverse health effects.
The University of Granada researchers behind the new study, published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, have stressed the need to continue finding high-quality evidence on the effect of environmental toxins on precocious puberty.
They urged the implementation of preventive strategies, such as educational interventions, stricter regulations, safer formulation of products, and more efficient environmental management.
Reference
Olivas-Martinez, A., Escribano, A., Riaño-Galán, I. et al. Association of exposure to synthetic phenols and metal(loids) with early puberty in Spanish girls: a multicentre case–control study. Eur J Pediatr 185, 295 (2026). – https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-026-06919-1
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Gray R. Thomas
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