There is a city in Thailand and a city in the Philippines. In an unprecedented move, public interest organizations working to reduce human exposure to harmful chemicals pressed the FDA of Thailand to take immediate action to stop the production and trade of cosmetics laden with mercury.
In a letter to the FDA Thailand office in Nonthaburi, environmental and consumer rights advocates from the Philippines and Thailand said that at least 14 Thailand-made skincare cosmetics with high levels of mercury were being sold in the Philippines.
The EcoWaste Coalition, Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand, Foundation for Consumers, and the International Pollutants Elimination Network-Southeast and East Asia signed the letter.
In order to protect our women, children and other vulnerable populations against multiple health problems linked to mercury exposure, we appeal to the FDA Thailand to conduct an in-depth investigation into the continued production of mercury-added cosmetics and their eventual export and sale abroad.
The Thai authorities were told to go after the culprits to break the unethical trade of cosmetics containing mercury.
The EcoWaste Coalition discovered high mercury levels in 12 facial and two underarm Whitening creams labeled "made in Thailand" and sold by some offline Retailers and online sellers.
The products were found to have mercury in the range of 2,486 to 44,540 parts per million.
Lady Gold Seaweed Gluta/Super Gluta is one of the products found to have mercury.
The groups underscored the dangers of contaminated cosmetics to human health in their push for industry compliance. Consumers of these contaminated cosmetics are exposing everyone at home, including babies and children, to mercury vapors, which can be inhaled and thus creating a two-fold exposure situation.
People living together in places with inadequate Ventilation are at greater risk when they breathe mercury-contaminated air and touch mercury-contaminated clothes, blankets, pillows, and towels.
The adverse health effects of the mercury contained in skin lightening creams and soaps are listed by the World Health Organization.
Women who are the main target market of cosmetics that claim to lighten the skin, fight the signs of aging and treat other problems are vulnerable to the toxic effects of mercury exposure.
There have been cases of mercury intoxication due to the use of mercury-adulterated cosmetics such as the case of a woman in California who fell into coma in 2019.
The FDA Thailand was urged to release an updated list of banned cosmetics containing mercury by the EcoWaste Coalition and other groups.
The FDA Thailand received a letter from the NGOs.
There are 14 skincare cosmetics from Thailand.
There are references.
The WHO-CED-PHE-EPE-19.13 is a publication.
The document is titled "ALERT Methyl Mercury in Skincreams" and can be found at thecdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/EHIB/CPE/CDPH.
skin-whitening-beauty-creams-mercury-vision-loss-mother-families-as-equals-intl-cmd
Publication Source : Journal Online
