Out ­ mercury based medical, cosmetic products

[Hemantha Withanage]

Out – mercury based medical, cosmetic products http://ceylontoday.lk/16-22754-news-detail-out-mercury-based-medical-cosmetic-products.html

By Ifham Nizam     The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Central Environment Authority (CEA) have instructed Provincial Councils and all hospitals countrywide, to phase out Mercury thermometers and blood pressure monitors, a senior medical official said.     The Environmental and Occupational Health Director of MoH, Dr. Ananda Jayavilal, told Ceylon Today, as government regulators, they have given clear instructions to hospitals and other relevant institutions to desist from purchasing medical equipment that contain mercury, in the future.     He added that they have also instructed the Cosmetics and Devices Department to prevent the many facial and whitening creams that are high in mercury from being sold to the public.     He expressed confidence that by the year 2020, the country would be free of all products that contain mercury. Meanwhile, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), had found very high levels of mercury in skin whitening creams widely available in the local market.     CEJ Executive Director, Hemantha Withanage, yesterday said of the 39 samples tested, 25 creams contain dangerous levels of mercury. "Unfortunately, some of these killer whitening creams have been approved under the Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Regulatory Authority in Sri Lanka," he said.     Mercury is one of the primary toxic metals of concern in cosmetics. The toxicity depends on the type of mercury that is used. The most hazardous form is the organic or the Methyl mercury. But all forms of mercury are absorbed through the skin, and tend to accumulate in the body due to the lipophilic property of chemicals.     "Contamination of mercury in blood can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or have adverse effects on the nervous system. Clinical symptoms due to over exposure to mercury include tremors, weakness, memory loss, dermatitis and impaired kidney function," explained CEJ Environmental Officer, Chalani Rubasinghe.     According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the concentration of mercury compounds as cosmetic ingredients is limited to the eye area, and increase in concentration of mercury to more than 65ppm (0.0065 per cent)] and their metal (about 100ppm or 0.01 per cent phenyl mercuric acetate or nitrate) is permitted only if there are no other side effects. All other cosmetics containing mercury are deemed as contaminated and subject to regulatory action unless it occurs in less than 1ppm (0.0001 per cent) since metal and its presence is unavoidable under conditions of good manufacturing practice, she added.