Abstract
ABSTRACT Skin whitening creams may contain impermissible levels of toxic metals, especially the non-regulated products. The present work aims to check the quality of selected skin whitening products sold in Sargodha, Pakistan for their heavy metals content because these products are in direct and in frequent contact with the skin and mucous membranes causing hazardous effects. Quantification of the metals under study was made using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry after wet digestion of the samples. The results show that the concentrations of heavy metals are ranked as follows: As (263 ppm) > Pb (26 ppm) > Cr (2 ppm) > Cu (0.7 ppm) > Cd (not detected). The calculated p value of 0.00 (>0.05) depicts a significant difference in the levels of heavy metals in the same creams and for the same metal among different creams. The normality of the data was checked by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests, while metal-to-metal correlation was determined by the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Comparison of the results with limitations set by the international regulatory bodies showed that the levels of As, Pb and Cr in these creams are above the safety limits. A strict monitoring is suggested during the manufacturing process to avoid any detrimental effects.
Published Version
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