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MERCURY EXPOSURE IN COSMETICS AND HUMAN HEALTH RISK

MAGDALENA BÎRSAN 1#, CĂTĂLINA DANIELA STAN 1*, KONRAD MIELCAREK 2, PATRYK NOWOKOSKI 2, KATARZYNA SOCHA 2#, MATEI PALIMARICIUC 3, ȘADIYE-IOANA SCRIPCARIU 4, PAULA ANTONOAEA 5, ROBERT ALEXANDRU VLAD 5, NICOLETA TODORAN 5, ADRIANA CIURBA 5

1“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Iaşi, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Drug Industry and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 16 Universităţii Street, 700115, Iaşi, România
2“Medical University of Bialystok”, Department of Bromatology, 20B Swierkova Blv, 15-328, Bialystok, Poland
3“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Iaşi, Faculty of Medicine, III Medical Department, 16 Universităţii Street, 700115, Iaşi, România
4“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Iaşi, Faculty of Medicine, Mother and Child Health Department, 16 Universităţii Street, 700115, Iaşi, România
5“George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Cosmetology, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540142, Târgu Mureș, România

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Nowadays cosmetics are part of daily routine. In addition to food and drinking water, cosmetic products also contain mercury in small amounts. Our goal was to evaluate the concentrations of mercury in various brands of cosmetic products and to demonstrate that the daily application of cosmetics raises the risk of mercury accumulation in the body. The most purchased cosmetic products were identified based on the three-months sales reports of ten pharmacies and five specialized cosmetics stores from Poland, regardless of the brand or name of the product. The first six categories of best-selling cosmetic products were selected, and the first seven most requested products were selected from each category. The concentrations of mercury in 42 cosmetic product samples were analysed by 254 Advanced Mercury Analyzer. The obtained values of mercury are within the limits allowed by the European Union, with different values depending on the brand, the type of cosmetics, or the country of manufacture. Even if the amount of mercury found in the best-selling cosmetic products is below the limit allowed by law, it is not immediately eliminated, but accumulates with each amount of cosmetic product used, and after a certain period side effects might occur. Cressey's formula was used to estimate mercury exposure from topical products, which indicated a potential dermal absorption equal to 0.2474 ng mercury/kg body weight/day with an estimated mercury accumulation over a year of approximately 480 ng mercury/kg body weight/year.