Illegal, banned and dangerous beauty creams are being sold online.
◊ By Benefit Publishing Bureau
Visit ORGANIC SHOP by Pure & Eco India
Skin lightening creams containing mercury—the heavy metal and dangerous neurotoxin, which is highly dangerous for children (born and foetal)—are still widely available for purchase globally, including in India. These creams are being sold through brick-and-mortar shops, as well as, on popular online markets such as Amazon and Flipkart.
HOW DANGEROUS IS MERCURY?
A lot.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), mercury is one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern.
Exposure to it – even in small amounts – can cause serious health issues, and is a threat to the development of children in uteri, and early in life.
Mercury can have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune system, as well as, on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.
Despite being banned by governments, a new research by a global alliance of NGOs, Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG), has found that consumers are still being sold skincare products containing high levels of mercury. India has been represented by the environmental NGO, Toxics Link, in the study.
Some of the 158 skin lightening creams that were tested for the study. In India, both manufacturing and import of cosmetics containing mercury is totally banned. Only 1 ppm mercury is permitted at the very most. Photo by Zero Mercury Working Group.
The study, spanning 158 products from 12 countries released by Zero Mercury Working Group revealed mercury levels ranging from 40 ppm (part per million) to over 130,000 ppm in 95 of the 158 products tested. Whereas the legal limit for mercury is only 1 ppm.
ZMWG found alarming mercury levels ranging from 48 ppm-113,000 ppm in the samples collected from India, which far exceeded the legal limit. The study also revealed that most of these products were manufactured in Asia, especially in Pakistan (62%), Thailand (19%) and China (13%).
All products were tested in accredited labs in the EU and USA with the help of a handheld X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer.
The samples belonging to India were bought online and from a popular Delhi market known for cheap China-made products: 9 samples were purchased from Amazon India, 2 from Flipkart, while 5 samples were bought from Gaffar Market in New Delhi.
In India, there is a stringent regulation, under The Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, against mercury being added to cosmetics. Manufacturing and import of cosmetics containing mercury compounds is totally banned. Unintentional addition of mercury is permitted up to one parts per million (1 ppm) only.
“Over 110 countries, including India, have committed to the Minamata Convention, to phase out and limit mercury, including in cosmetics. Despite these illegal high mercury products being essentially banned by governments around the globe, our testing results show the same products continue to be sold locally and over the Internet. This is a serious violation of national standards. E-commerce platforms must adhere to product standards as notified by the government and be held accountable for any violation thereof,” says Satish Sinha, Associate Director, Toxics Link.
“These hazardous and illegal products are a serious mercury exposure risk, especially to repeat users and their children. A proper surveillance system needs to be in place to stop the toxic trade in high mercury-containing skin lightening creams,” says Piyush Mohapatra, Senior Programme Coordinator, Toxics Link.
“Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin, which must be effectively controlled. Internet retailers like Amazon and eBay must stop these illegal products from being sold on their sites, as they have recently pledged to do in the EU,” says Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, Project Manager, Zero Mercury Working Group.
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