Now Reading: Nimhans finds fairness creams with mercury 11,500 times over limit
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Nimhans finds fairness creams with mercury 11,500 times over limit
Nimhans, Bengaluru, has documented multiple cases of mercury toxicity linked to unregulated fairness creams sold over the counter and online. One product contained mercury 11,500 times above the permissible 1 mg per kg set by the central drug regulator. Two young patients, a 16-year-old boy with urinary mercury 18 times the normal level, suffered severe neurological and kidney damage.
Doctors at Nimhans report symptoms including muscle twitching, memory loss, sleep disturbances, kidney disease and altered behaviour. The creams, often imported from Pakistan and the Middle East, are sold online for as little as Rs 359. Nimhans interim director Dr Prabha S Chandra said the institute plans to write to the health ministry seeking action against such products.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure, yet it is cheaply added to unregulated fairness creams to inhibit melanin. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's 1 mg/kg limit is routinely flouted by products sold on e-commerce platforms. India's cosmetic rules, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, do not require pre-market approval for such creams, leaving enforcement to post-sale testing that rarely happens. Nimhans plans to write to the health ministry, but without a systemic crackdown on online marketplaces and stricter import checks, these products will remain a click away. Watch for the ministry's response and whether the government classifies these creams as a public health emergency.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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