BSTI finds dangerously high mercury levels in 8 skin creams

Skin creams cantaining dangerously high levels of mercury, according to BSTI.

Dhaka, Aug 4 — The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) on Tuesday warned consumers against purchasing, selling, distributing, stocking or using eight brands of skin-whitening creams after laboratory tests detected mercury at dangerously high levels, far exceeding the country's permissible safety limit.

BSTI said the mercury content in the products exceeded the maximum permissible limit of 1.00 parts per million (ppm) set under the Bangladesh Standard (BDS 1382), posing serious health risks to users.

According to the standards body, the skin-whitening creams are not legally imported into Bangladesh. Instead, they are believed to enter the country through passengers' luggage or other illegal channels, preventing BSTI from verifying their quality before they reach the market.

Samples collected from the market and tested at BSTI laboratories revealed mercury concentrations ranging from 44.72 ppm to 123.37 ppm.

The products found to contain excessive mercury are: Chandni Whitening Cream (120.39 ppm), New Face Beauty Cream (44.72 ppm), Navia Beauty Cream (59.82 ppm), Navia Whitening Cream (79.70 ppm), Noor Whitening Cream (82.76 ppm), Dew Beauty Cream (123.37 ppm), Goree Beauty Cream (56.93 ppm) and Natural Pearl Screen Cream (67.49 ppm).

BSTI Director General (Secretary) Kazi Imdadul Haque said there could be no compromise when it comes to public health.

"Protecting consumers' lives and health is BSTI's highest priority. Strict legal action will be taken against any entity involved in manufacturing, importing or marketing cosmetics containing harmful substances," he said.

He said BSTI has intensified market surveillance, sample collection, laboratory testing, analysis and mobile court operations to ensure that unsafe products are removed from the market.

The BSTI chief also urged consumers to avoid purchasing or using unapproved skin-whitening creams, verify BSTI approval before buying cosmetics and report any suspicious products to the organisation.

BSTI warned that prolonged use of mercury-containing skin creams may damage the skin's natural protective barrier, cause skin thinning, permanent pigmentation, allergic reactions, kidney damage and neurological disorders. Exposure during pregnancy may also interfere with the normal development of an unborn child, it added. - UNB