Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Scientific Reports
Volume
13
Issue
1
PubMed ID
38017000
Publisher
Nature
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
64690
Abstract
Hydroquinone, Mercury (Hg), and Arsenic (As) are hazardous to health upon long-term exposure. Hydroquinone, Hg, and As were analysed in skin-lightening cosmetics randomly purchased from different cosmetic outlets within the Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. The amount of hydroquinone in the samples was determined using a UV-spectrophotometry method at 290 nm. Hg and As were quantified using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). UV-spectrophotometry method validation showed excellent linearity (r2 = 0.9993), with limits of detection (0.75 g/mL), limits of quantification (2.28 g/mL), relative standard deviation (0.01–0.35%), and recovery (95.85–103.56%) in the concentration range of 5–50 g/mL. Similarly, r2, LOD, and LOQ for Hg and As were 0.9983 and 0.9991, (0.5 and 1.0 g/L) and 1.65 and 3.3 g/L) respectively. All the samples contained hydroquinone, Hg and As in varying amounts. The amounts of hydroquinone, Hg and As present were in the ranges of 1.9–3.3%, 0.08–2.52 g/g and 0.07–5.30 g/g respectively. Only three of the analysed samples contained hydroquinone within the permissible limit of 2.0% w/w in cosmetic products. All the samples analysed contained mercury and arsenic in varying amounts. The need to periodically monitor the levels of hydroquinone, mercury, and arsenic in skin-lightening cosmetics marketed in Nigeria is recommended.
DOI
10.1038/s41598-023-47160-2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Bamidele, O. D., Kayode, B. A., Eniayewu, O. I., Adegbola, A. J., Olatoye, R. S., Njinga, N. S., . . . Bakare-Odunola, M. T. (2023). Quality assessment of hydroquinone, mercury, and arsenic in skin-lightening cosmetics marketed in Ilorin, Nigeria. Scientific Reports, 13, article 20992. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47160-2