Iron, lead, and nickel in selected consumer products in Nigeria: A potential public health concern

Abstract

There is a dearth of data on the consumer product concentrations of iron, lead, and nickel for accurate comparison to be made. The levels of these elements were determined in 85 samples of six different classes of personal care products commonly used in Nigeria using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results of the analysis showed that the range of the mean concentrations of Fe was 0.485-1.108 ppm, Pb ND-0.163 ppm, and Ni ND-0.160 ppm. The analytical data have demonstrated that the selected consumer products are possible sources of iron, lead, and nickel exposure. Users can be exposed to these metals directly through dermal contact or inhalation. The regulations relating to cosmetic products give no limit values for heavy metals in cosmetic products, hence, it was difficult to establish if the values obtained in this study are safe or not. Prolonged use of soaps, creams, and detergent containing these elements may pose threat to human health and the environment. This could be responsible for various skin diseases such as allergic skin, follicular and pigmentary disorders, which are common among the users (exposed groups) of these products in Nigeria. A body of evidence has presented a rare example of systemic allergic dermatitis caused by topical application of a mercury-containing cosmetic to the upper lip of a 32-yearold Turkish patient.

The Assessment of Toxic Metals in Plants Used in Cosmetics and Cosmetology

“…The concentration of toxic metals in cosmetic plants and plants used in cosmetology was widely discussed [ 5 , 14 , 18 , 20 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. In Brazil, the standard quality control of these products is not always enforced, and their quality, efficacy and safety is unclear.…”

“…The results show the need for a systematic control of toxic heavy metals in plants used as medicines and cosmetics [ 36 ]. The personal care products like soap, body and hair creams can expose users to significant levels of heavy metals [ 38 ]. In the study by Adepoju-Bello et al [ 5 ], arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel were determined in various brand of creams, lipsticks and lip-glosses.…”

Metals in cosmetics: implications for human health

“…Concentrations of metals detected in toy make up (mg kg -1 )Chan et al, 2001;Sin and Tsang, 2003;Ayenimo et al, 2010aAyenimo et al, , 2010bChauhan et al, 2010;McKelvey et al, 2011;Onwordi et al, 2011;Perkin Elmer, 2012;Adawe and Oberg, 2013;Al-Qutob et al, 2013;Cristuado et al, 2013;Ullah et al, 2013;Umar and Caleb, 2013) Detailed data on the concentrations of heavy metals detected in face and body care products produced in various countries are presented as theSupplementary Tables S5-S6.Pb, lead; Cd, cadmium; Ni, nickel; Hg, mercury; Cr, chromium; Fe, iron; Cu, copper; Co, cobalt.enrich the skin with nutrients(Sukender et al, 2012). However, not every product containing herbs and minerals is a natural product.…”

Cosmetovigilance: Emerging safety trends

“…Heavy metals like lead or mercury in cosmetics can accumulate in the body over time, leading to health issues such as neurological damage and developmental problems. [11][12][13][14][15]…”