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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/FWSH/15
Contamination status of Pb in different personal care products used in Faisalabad,
Pakistan

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Iram Nisar , Shafaqat Ali , Muhammad Farooq Qayyum , Husnain Zia , Muhammad Zia ur
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Rehman* , Muhammad Umair
1 Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
2 Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Government College University,
Faisalabad
3 Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin
Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
Correspondence: ziasindhu1399@gmail.com

Abstract
Widespread use of personal care products (PCPs) on daily basis leads to exposure of skin to
harmful chemicals. PCPs are usually mixtures of chemicals from natural sources or may be
synthetic. Synthetic cosmetics or PCPs may contain different toxic elements like heavy metals
which could be injurious to human health. Heavy metals like Pb, Cd, and Cr are very harmful
to our biological system even at low concentrations. Despite of arising curiosity about the
presence of heavy metals in cosmetic products, little awareness has been attributed to their
contamination levels. A survey study was conducted to determine the Pb concentration in PCPs
in local markets of Faisalabad City. Samples of various types of PCPs like shampoo, face wash,
toothpaste, hand wash, soaps, skin lightening creams, sunblock, and lotions were collected
from different local shopping centers. The concentration of Pb in PCPs was higher than the
safe permissible limits of WHO and EPA. Results revealed that the maximum Pb concentration
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for different PCPs was 98.18±2.46 mg kg (Vince), 104.71±2.63 mg kg (Golden Pearl and
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Acne Clear), 114.93±2.88 mg kg (Capri), 131.08±3.29 mg kg (Skin White), 152.26±3.82
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mg kg (Salsum Blue), 135.32±2.89 mg kg (Bannet), 220.3±5.53 mg kg (Ponds) and
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204.94±5.14 mg kg (Archie) for face wash, soap, hand wash, lightening cream, shampoo,
toothpaste, lotion and sunblock, respectively. Meanwhile, the minimum concentration was
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42.85±1.07 mg kg (Garnier skin active), 28.61±0.72 mg kg (Pears), 48.69±1.22 mg kg
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(Safeguard), 26.38±0.66 mg kg (Ponds), 74.07±1.87 mg kg (Clear), 75.67±1.9 mg kg
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(Close up), 142.64±3.58 mg kg (Vaseline) and 113.67±2.85 mg kg (Solarin) for face wash,
soap, hand wash, lightening cream, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion and sunblock, respectively.
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Whereas the recorded average lead concentrations of all the samples were 75.382 mg kg (face
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wash), 81.151 mg kg (Soap), 77.87 mg kg (Hand Wash), 89.71 mg kg (Lightening
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Creams), 121.416 mg kg (Shampoo), 118.396 mg kg (Toothpaste), 132.994 mg kg -1
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(Lotions) and 166.134 mg kg (Sun Block). SED model of risk assessment predicted that PCPs
were highly carcinogenic, and users are at high risk of HMs accumulation in bodies. The
continued use of these heavy metals contaminated products may cause a slow release of these
metals from the human body and show harmful impacts on human health.
Keywords: personal care products; lead; health risk; metal exposure

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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