Determination of the Toxic Lead and Copper Levels in Cosmetic Hair-Dye Powders by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

Metal toxicity in humans is a result of long term or high level exposure to toxic metals which enter the body through common media as air, water, and food. More recently, with the increase in regular use of numerous cosmetic products, which have been reported to contain heavy metals as contaminants, human bodies are being exposed to them on a daily basis. A number of dermal absorption studies have been conducted which satisfy the assumption that harmful chemicals get absorbed into the blood stream through skin. Hair-dye powders are one of the most commonly used cosmetic products by all- young and old these days and are applied on a regular basis. If contaminated, direct application on hair and scalp can increase chances of absorption of toxic metals as lead and copper and can potentially add up to significant exposure levels as these have cumulative effect. This has drawn our attention to assess the levels of these metals in nine samples of common hair-dye powders available in markets of Delhi. The levels of these metals were determined by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer after a wet digestion method for sample preparation. Lead and Copper were detected in different concentrations in all the studied samples, the highest being 1.42 ± 0.0814 ppm and 0.75 ± 0.0693 ppm for lead and copper respectively.