Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Despite legal and safety issues, skin-lightening cosmetic products—including hazardous mercury-containing cosmetics—are in increasing demand in Indonesia. Perceptions of beauty may result in desires to have lighter skin tones, regardless of the safety of these cosmetics, which block the production o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Cosmetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/3/58 |
| _version_ | 1797561425062789120 |
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| author | Hasriwiani Habo Abbas Masayuki Sakakibara Koichiro Sera Nurgahayu Ella Andayanie |
| author_facet | Hasriwiani Habo Abbas Masayuki Sakakibara Koichiro Sera Nurgahayu Ella Andayanie |
| author_sort | Hasriwiani Habo Abbas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite legal and safety issues, skin-lightening cosmetic products—including hazardous mercury-containing cosmetics—are in increasing demand in Indonesia. Perceptions of beauty may result in desires to have lighter skin tones, regardless of the safety of these cosmetics, which block the production of melanin and thus lighten skin tone. This study investigated Hg exposure of students using skin-lightening cosmetics and assessed the health issues. A total of 105 female students were given a questionnaire regarding their use of cosmetics; a further 43 students formed a non-cosmetic-user control group. Their scalp hair and cosmetic products were analyzed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy. The geometric-mean hair Hg concentration for the cosmetics-using students was 6.7 µg g<sup>−1</sup>—three times that of the control group (2.3 µg g<sup>−1</sup>). Of twenty-seven cosmetic samples were analyzed, twenty had Hg concentrations of 0.12–7834.4 µg g<sup>−1</sup> (mean 554.6 µg g<sup>−1</sup>), and seven had no detectable Hg. The hair Hg concentrations exhibited a statistically significant correlation with cosmetic Hg concentration. The health assessments indicated only rigidity & ataxia and irregular eye movement were prevalent in the cosmetic-using students with less than 7% occurrences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:14:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30b85bc31b9545069383f135e3a743f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-9284 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:14:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cosmetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-30b85bc31b9545069383f135e3a743f82023-11-20T07:49:32ZengMDPI AGCosmetics2079-92842020-07-01735810.3390/cosmetics7030058Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, IndonesiaHasriwiani Habo Abbas0Masayuki Sakakibara1Koichiro Sera2Nurgahayu3Ella Andayanie4Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Muslim Indonesia (UMI), Gedung FKM UMI, Jl. Urip Sumahorjo Km 5, Makassar Sulawesi Selatan 90231, IndonesiaDepartment of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, JapanCyclotron Research Center, Iwate Medical University, 348-58 Tomegamori, Takizawa, Iwate 020-0137, JapanFaculty of Public Health, Universitas Muslim Indonesia (UMI), Gedung FKM UMI, Jl. Urip Sumahorjo Km 5, Makassar Sulawesi Selatan 90231, IndonesiaFaculty of Public Health, Universitas Muslim Indonesia (UMI), Gedung FKM UMI, Jl. Urip Sumahorjo Km 5, Makassar Sulawesi Selatan 90231, IndonesiaDespite legal and safety issues, skin-lightening cosmetic products—including hazardous mercury-containing cosmetics—are in increasing demand in Indonesia. Perceptions of beauty may result in desires to have lighter skin tones, regardless of the safety of these cosmetics, which block the production of melanin and thus lighten skin tone. This study investigated Hg exposure of students using skin-lightening cosmetics and assessed the health issues. A total of 105 female students were given a questionnaire regarding their use of cosmetics; a further 43 students formed a non-cosmetic-user control group. Their scalp hair and cosmetic products were analyzed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy. The geometric-mean hair Hg concentration for the cosmetics-using students was 6.7 µg g<sup>−1</sup>—three times that of the control group (2.3 µg g<sup>−1</sup>). Of twenty-seven cosmetic samples were analyzed, twenty had Hg concentrations of 0.12–7834.4 µg g<sup>−1</sup> (mean 554.6 µg g<sup>−1</sup>), and seven had no detectable Hg. The hair Hg concentrations exhibited a statistically significant correlation with cosmetic Hg concentration. The health assessments indicated only rigidity & ataxia and irregular eye movement were prevalent in the cosmetic-using students with less than 7% occurrences.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/3/58mercury exposureskin-lightening cosmetic productshealth problems |
| spellingShingle | Hasriwiani Habo Abbas Masayuki Sakakibara Koichiro Sera Nurgahayu Ella Andayanie Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia Cosmetics mercury exposure skin-lightening cosmetic products health problems |
| title | Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| title_full | Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| title_fullStr | Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| title_short | Mercury Exposure and Health Problems of the Students Using Skin-Lightening Cosmetic Products in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| title_sort | mercury exposure and health problems of the students using skin lightening cosmetic products in makassar south sulawesi indonesia |
| topic | mercury exposure skin-lightening cosmetic products health problems |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/3/58 |
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