Spectrometric analysis of mercury content in 549 skin-lightening products: Is mercury toxicity a hidden global health hazard?

Boonchai, Waranya; Wen, Liping; Sakanashi, Emi Nishijima; Chu, Chia-Yu; Hamann, Kylin; Hamann, Carsten R.; Sinniah, Kumar; Hamann, Dathan

doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.09.050

Cited by 91 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Evaluation of the epidemiological consequences of mercury toxicity over the years has added greatly to the understanding of mercury toxicity and its human impact. History has left us with a wide array of information regarding the effects of mercury toxicity: the earliest recorded death by mercury of the Qin Shi Huang first emperor to unify China [78], the "Mad Hatter disease" among milliners in the 18th and 19th centuries [79], the mercury spill on board the two British ships the Her Majesty's ship (HMS) Triumph and HMS Philpps in 1810 [80,81], the apparent death of approximately 60 men during the construction of Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Russia between 1818 to 1858 from the gold amalgam used for gilding [82], the mysterious death of actress Olive Thomas in 1920 from ingestion of her husband's mercury pill used at the time to treat syphilis [83,84], the event at the Norwich England seed packing facility in the 1930s where the term "Hunter-Russell syndrome" originates [85], the 1950s industrial spill in Minamata and Niigat Japan where it was defined as "Minamata disease" [4], the rural poisoning in Iraq in 1971 to 1972 from MeHg-based fungicide [86], Karen Wetterhahn's death at Dartmouth College in 1996 from a drop of dimethymercury of her latex gloves [87], Tony Winneet's accidental death from using liquid mercury to extract gold from old computer parts [88], the current finding of mercury in 6.0% of skin-lightening products tested in one study [89] and 47% of products tested in a Somali community contained mercury [90], the long term effects of the California Gold mining impact on mercury redistribution and potential impact on human health [91], and the numerous links to human consumption of mercury laden fish [92,93]. All of these events have left us with an indelible account of the detrimental effects of mercury on human health.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Mercury and Its Toxic Effects

Rice

Walker

et al. 2014

J Prev Med Public Health

866

426

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Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Mercury and Its Toxic Effects

Rice

Walker

et al. 2014

J Prev Med Public Health

866

426

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Of the 549 tested products, 33, representing ~6.0 %, contained mercury above 1,000 ppm. Forty-five percent contained mercury in excess of 10,000 ppm and 3.3 % of skin-lightening products purchased in the USA were found to contain mercury in excess of 1,000 ppm [6]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in Mercury Research

Martinez-Finley

Aschner

2014

Curr Envir Health Rpt

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Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic, non-essential, naturally occurring metal with a variety of uses. Mercury is not required for any known biological process and its presence in the human body may be detrimental, especially to the nervous system. Both genetic and behavioral studies suggest that mercury levels, age (both of exposure and at testing), and genetic background determine disease processes and outcome. The metal receptors and genes responsible for mercury metabolism also appear to play a pivotal role in the etiology of mercury-induced pathology. This review presents information about the latest advances in mercury research, with particular focus on low-level exposures and the contribution of genetics to toxic outcome. Future studies should address the contribution of genetics and low-level mercury exposure to disease, namely gene x environment interactions, taking into consideration age of exposure as developing animals are exquisitely more sensitive to this metal. In addition to recent advances in understanding the pathology associated with mercury exposure, the review highlights transport mechanisms, cellular distribution and detoxification of mercury species in the body.

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“…Inorganic mercury is also used in cosmetics for skin whitening12. In addition, daily mercury intake can occur by eating certain foods, especially fish contaminated with inorganic mercury13 and inhaling air which contains vapor phase and particulate mercury14.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulation of Sirt1/Nrf2/TNF-α signaling pathway by luteolin is critical to attenuate acute mercuric chloride exposure induced hepatotoxicity

Yang

Xiao

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

141

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Inorganic mercury, though a key component of pediatric vaccines, is an environmental toxicant threatening human health via accumulating oxidative stress in part. Luteolin has been of great interest because of its antiinflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antioxidative effects. Here we hypothesized that luteolin would attenuate hepatotoxicity induced by acute inorganic mercury exposure. Kunming mice were treated with luteolin (100 mg/kg) 24 h after administration of 4 mg/kg mercuric chloride (HgCl2). The results showed that luteolin ameliorated HgCl2 induced anemia and hepatotoxicity, regulating radical oxygen species (ROS) production and hepatocyte viability in vitro and oxidative stress and apoptosis in vivo. Furthermore, luteolin reversed the changes in levels of inflammation- and apoptosis-related proteins involving NF-κB, TNF-α, Sirt1, mTOR, Bax, p53, and Bcl-2, and inhibited p38 MAPK activation. Luteolin enhanced antioxidant defense system based on Keap1, Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, and KLF9. Moreover, luteolin did not affect miRNA-146a expression. Collectively, our findings, for the first time, elucidate a precise mechanism for attenuation of HgCl2-induced liver dysfunction by dietary luteolin via regulating Sirt1/Nrf2/TNF-α signaling pathway, and provide a foundation for further study of luteolin as a novel therapeutic agent against inorganic mercury poisoning.

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Spectrometric analysis of mercury content in 549 skin-lightening products: Is mercury toxicity a hidden global health hazard?

Cited by 91 publications

References 43 publications

Environmental Mercury and Its Toxic Effects

Environmental Mercury and Its Toxic Effects

Recent Advances in Mercury Research

Regulation of Sirt1/Nrf2/TNF-α signaling pathway by luteolin is critical to attenuate acute mercuric chloride exposure induced hepatotoxicity

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