A dangerous level of mercury is found in popular skin whitening cream brands available on the Bangladesh market, according to a study revealed on Thursday.
The Environment and Social Development Organisation, in partnership with the European Environmental Bureau and the testing support from BAN Toxics, conducted the study.
The non-government organisation shared the study findings at its office in the capital Dhaka and urged the government to take immediate steps to prevent skin cancer and other diseases due to the mercury-mixed cream.
The researchers collected 20 samples on a random basis from the market to test mercury presence in between April and June this year.
Out of the 20 samples, they detected in 18 items far above the internationally accepted limit of 1 part per million (ppm) 鈥� posing serious health risks to consumers.
The two brands with the highest concentration were Due Beauty Cream (24,800ppm) and Golden Pearl Beauty Cream (20,700ppm).
According to the study findings, three of the brands with a dangerous level of mercury have been banned by the Bangladesh Standards Testing Institution, but the brands are still on sale.
Additionally, several skin lightening creams were found to contain dangerously high levels of mercury, including FEIQUE Herbal Extract Whitening Freckle Removing Cream (15,500ppm), Parley Beauty Cream (10,000ppm) and Kim Whitening Ginseng and Pearl Cream (7,400ppm).
鈥楧espite some progress in both local and international regulations, it is alarming that these products remain available on the market, putting public health at risk and are contributing to environmental pollution,鈥� said Md Abul Hashem, former chairman of the chemistry department at Jahangirnagar University, and senior technical adviser of the ESDO.
BSTI deputy director Abu Sayed said that they were operating mobile courts, monitoring markets and online platforms and even going undercover to detect banned skin-lightening creams.
But BSTI alone cannot tackle this issue, he said, adding that public awareness and joint efforts from citizens, organisations, media, and all sectors were essential.
ESDO senior technical adviser Shahriar Hossain said that mercury in creams was a silent killer that would slowly harm individuals, often without immediate symptoms.
He demanded that the government take actions in this connection.
