Identification and quantification of selected heavy metals by ICP-OES in skin whitening creams marketed in Pakistan

The use of skin-whitening cosmetics in Pakistan has increased exponentially. The presence of heavy metals as contaminants in these products has raised public concerns about their long-term application and health effects. There are many risks associated with sub-standard and unauthorized beauty products available in the market. The main purpose of the present study is to detect the selected metals in the skin whitening creams available in the local market of Faisalabad, Pakistan, by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and assess their hazardous effects on human health. Twelve beauty products were procured from the local market based on their popularity among university students and were investigated for heavy metals, i.e., arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and nickel (Ni). The samples were prepared using microwave-assisted acid digestion in concentrated acids HNO₃: HClO₄ (5:2). The concentrations of heavy metals in the samples exceeded the World Health Organization permissible limits (WHO). The average concentration of Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, As, and Hg in the samples ranged between 0.03–12.40, 0.01–70.97, 0.32–32.40, 0.0–0.74, 0.01–3.30, and 1.12–67.41 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The results of the hazardous quotient (HQ) represent that K11 had the maximum HQ concerning As, Cd, and Hg. It was inferred from the present study that most skin whitening products may cause health hazards to consumers due to the presence of higher concentrations of heavy metals.