Analysis of heavy metals in different brands of lipsticks sold in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria and their potential health risks to users

Abstract

Studies were carried out to analyze the heavy metal (Cr, Cu, As, Pb, and Ni) levels in different brands of lipsticks sold within Enugu metropolis and their potential health risks to users. Appropriate precaution, procedure and instrumentation were adopted in order to obtain a reliable and verifiable data. Seven lipstick sample brands were wet digested and assayed for the presence of Cr, Cu, As, Pb and Ni using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, As, Pb and Ni in the seven sample brands ranged, 10.582.24 -103.074.82, 17.630.92 -86.120.56, 0.77014 -13.101.76, 0.920.07 -22.071.48 and 6.410.32 -66.043.52μg/g respectively. The mean levels of the studied metals in the sample brands were found to be statistically significant. The levels of Pb and As in two lipstick brands, S1and S4 were above the recommended limits. Equally, the average daily dose and hazard quotients for Pb and As in samples S1and S4 were above the recommended reference dose and I Analysis of … Ezeh Ernestet al. 403 respectively indicating an adverse non-carcinogenic health risk exposure to the two metals via lipstick ingestion. However, the average daily dose and hazard quotients of the other studied metals (Cr, Cu and Ni) in all the sample brands, S1 to S7 were within the recommended reference doses and hazard quotients respectively. In other words, the continuous use of the lipstick brands especially those that have been found to contain the hazardous heavy metals above the recommended limits poses a high health risk to users.

Evaluation of lead and cadmium levels in lipsticks sold in Kathmandu, Nepal, and their potential health risk assessment

“…Nkansah et al (2018) evaluated Pb and Cd and their health impacts in 15 lipsticks sold in the Ghanaian market. Similarly, Ernest et al (2019) analyzed heavy metals in different lipstick brands sold in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria, and their probable health risks to the consumers. To the best of our knowledge, no reports are available in the literature on the evaluation of heavy metals levels in lipsticks sold in Nepal, and their potential health risk assessment.…”

“…The amount acquired via ingestion was calculated as per Eqn. 1 as described by (Ernest et al, 2019).…”

“…Where, RfD = reference oral dose (for Pb = 0.0004 and Cd = 0.001 mg kg -1 day -1 ) (Ernest et al, 2019).…”