| dc.description.abstract | The sale of cosmetic creams is unrestricted in Kenya. Accusations
have been levelled on these products due to their having
dysfunctious effects on consumers as a result of addition of non
conventional skin lightening ingredients like mercury .
Mercury occurs widely in the biosphere and has long been known
as a toxic element presenting hazards associated with ingestion
and inhalation. No vital function for the element in living
organisms has yet been found. The toxic properties of mercury
have evoked increasing concern lately due to the extent of its
use in industries, agriculture and in pharmaceutical preparations
like cosmetic creams. Mercury containing creams are left on the
skin and therefore the possibility of exposure to mercury exists.
This exposure leads to poisoning manifestations which can be
neurological and nephrotic.
Previous workers in this subject have used an analytical
method which involved heating specimens to high temperatures
during acid digestion. Considering the volatility of mercury,
this method may not have been most reliable hence in this study
an essentially non-destructive testing technique has been
utilised to determine the levels of mercury in imported cosmetic
creams sold in Kenya. Samples analysed for each brand were
collected in two groups six months apart. The aim of this kind
sampling was to study possible variations in mercury
concentration in each brand within the six months period.
The analysis showed the following mercury concentration
ranges (1l9/9) within brands: Madonna(green) 20867-33508;
Madonna(red)14330-22167; Pimplex 3742-9949; Shirley(original)
5444-32270; Bestlady 8837-16187; Topsine 1182-1969; Fennel 3743-
5444; Shirley(new), Dermovate, Topshirley had no mercury within
the lower limit of detection of the Energy Dispersive X-ray
Fluo~escence (EDXRF) detector. The following variations between
the two sample groups were also observed: Madonna(green) 7.3%;
Madonna(red) 30%; Pimplex 121%; Shirley(original) 40%; Bestlady
7.4%; Topsine 3.7%; Fennel 14%; Shirley(new),Dermovate,
Topshirley 0%. Most of the brands analysed (70%) had mercury
levels above the Kenya Bureau of Standards recommendation of 0%
and were also above levels reported in previous studies. 30% of
the brands showed no mercury concentration within the lower limit
of detection of the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF)
detector system used. thus it was observed that most imported
cosmetic cream brands contain high levels of mercury and
therefore the Kenya Bureau of Standards should find ways of
preventing the entry of these products into the country. | en_US |
