Determination of Mercury in Some Cosmetics Offered in the Iraqi Market

Abstract

Mercury was estimated in twenty facial cosmetics, including five lipsticks of different origins and in various colors, and twenty facial cosmetics, including eyeliner, eyeliner, lip liner, and others, from different origins. As 2 grams of each preparation was taken, an acid digestion process was carried out using nitric acid with a concentration of (69%) and heating to 90 degrees, and an oxidation step was performed after cooling using one millilitre of hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of (30%), then the resulting solution was filtered and the remaining volume was completed with empty water of ions in a 10 ml volumetric vial. Mercury was measured with a flame atomic absorption device at a wavelength of 253.7 nanometers. The relative standard deviations, RSD%, ranged from 0.74 to 3.73%, and the relative error, %Error, ranged from -3.06 to 1.06%. The results showed the presence of mercury in all samples under study, with concentrations ranging between 0.070 and 0.510 µg/mL, which is within the safe limit set by the WHO. The global level is 1 microgram/ml.