Abstract
Cosmetic products are used in large quantities across the world. An increasing number of chemical compounds are being added to the formulation of cosmetic products as additives, fragrances, preservatives, stabilizers, surfactants, dye and shine to potentiate their quality, property and shelf life. Owing to their widespread use, active residues of cosmetic products are continuously introduced into the environment in several ways. Many of these chemicals are bioactive and are characterized by potential bioaccumulation ability and environmental persistence, thus exerting a major risk to humans and the health of ecosystems. Hence, the indiscriminate consumption of cosmetics may present a looming issue with significant adverse impacts on public health. This review intends to spotlight a current overview of toxic ingredients used in formulating cosmetics such as parabens, triclosan, benzalkonium chloride, 1,4-dioxane, plastic microbeads, formaldehyde, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, sunscreen elements (organic and inorganic UV filters) and trace metals. Specific focus is given to illustrate the biological risks of these substances on human health and aquatic system in terms of genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, neurotoxicity mutagenicity, and estrogenicity. In addition to conclusive remarks, future directions are also suggested.
Highlights
The global cosmetics market is projected to register a CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 4.3% during the forecast period (2016–2022) and is anticipated to reach $429.8 billion by 2022 [1].Reports have documented that the average man and woman practice six and twelve cosmetic products per day, respectively, in the USA [2]
The cosmetic products are continually introduced into the aquatic systems and their ecological impacts are related to bioactivity, toxicity, and bioaccumulation potential [4]
Parabens are a class of chemicals that have been extensively employed as preservatives in pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic products due to their potential antimicrobial activities
Summary
The global cosmetics market is projected to register a CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 4.3% during the forecast period (2016–2022) and is anticipated to reach $429.8 billion by 2022 [1]. Sewage treatment plants do not always effectively remove many of the cosmetic ingredients or chemicals such as micro-plastics [5], UV organic filters, perfluoroalkyl compounds, and synthetic musks [6,7]. These compounds are accumulated in sewage sludge during wastewater processing and find a way into the environment because of using this sludge as crop fertilizer [8]. Cosmetics 2020, 7, 13 risks due to their continuous utilization throughout life Since they are designed for use in external surfaces and are not intended for metabolic transformation, they enter the environment unaltered in large quantities during washing and showering [9]. In addition to conclusive remarks, future directions are suggested
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