Concentrations and Probabilistic Health Risks of Seven Metals in Face and Eye Cosmetics Across Seven Asian Countries

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Heavy metal contamination in cosmetics is a global concern, despite regulations.
• Limited data exists on heavy metal levels in cosmetics across Asian markets.
• Cosmetics pose potential health risks due to heavy metal exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify heavy metal (Hg, Pb, As, Cd, Sb, Cr, Ni) concentrations in cosmetics from Asian markets.
• To assess potential health risks associated with heavy metal exposure from cosmetic use.
• To investigate patterns of heavy metal co-occurrence and identify sources of contamination.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 189 cosmetic products from seven Asian countries using X-ray fluorescence, direct mercury analyzer, and ICP-OES.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify metal co-occurrence patterns.
• Monte Carlo simulation to estimate dermal exposure, hazard quotients (HQ), and lifetime cancer risk (LCR).

Main Results:

• Extreme mercury (Hg) heterogeneity found in face creams (ND-67,000 mg/kg); elevated arsenic (As) in eye cosmetics (median 4.13 mg/kg).
• PCA distinguished intentionally added Hg from geogenic metals (As, Cr, Ni), suggesting adulteration.
• Probabilistic risk assessment revealed significant non-cancer risk from Hg in face creams (95th percentile HQ 6.32) and high lifetime cancer risk from As (95th percentile LCR 2.60 × 10^-4).

Conclusions:

• Cosmetic products exhibit distinct heavy metal profiles based on product type.
• A subset of facial products with extremely high mercury levels presents substantial health risks.
• Findings underscore the need for enhanced market surveillance and regulatory enforcement to mitigate heavy metal exposure from cosmetics.