Mercury Exposure Associated with Use of Skin Lightening Products in Jamaica

Journal of Health & Pollution
Phylicia RickettsMitko Voutchkov

Abstract

Skin bleaching is a major health concern among Jamaicans. A common ingredient in skin lightening products is mercury. Mercury is a toxic substance that can cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system and kidneys. The objectives of this study were to use different analytical techniques to measure mercury concentrations in popular skin lightening products used in Jamaica and to assess individual levels of mercury exposure based on product usage. Sixty skin lightening products were purchased from different vendors across various locations in Jamaica. Each product was initially screened for mercury using a portable handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer. In addition, 25 out of 60 products were further measured using cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (CVAAS). Questionnaires were distributed to users of skin lightening products to determine their usage patterns. Six products had mercury concentrations above the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowable limit of 1 ppm, of which three products contained alarmingly high concentrations (i.e. > 400 ppm). The majority of products (57 out of 60) had mercury concentrations below 10 ppm. The mercury concentrations in skin lightenin...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 26, 2021·Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology : RTP·Supriti PramanikAsif Qureshi
Aug 27, 2021·Journal of Health & Pollution·Sandra Page-Cook
Oct 13, 2021·Clinical and Experimental Dermatology·M Sommerlad

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
X-ray
cold

Software Mentioned

Excel
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ( SPSS )

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