Child and adult exposure and health risk evaluation following the use of metal- and metalloid-containing costume cosmetics sold in the United States

Abstract

Costume cosmetics (lipstick, body paints, eyeshadow) were analyzed for metals using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Sb was detected in all samples (range: 0.12-6.3 mg/kg; d.f. 100%), followed by Pb (<0.15-9.3 mg/kg), Ni (<0.20-6.3 mg/kg), Co (<0.5-2.0 mg/kg); with d.f. 80% each, Hg (<0.00015-0.0020 mg/kg; d.f. 50%) and As (0.53 mg/kg, d.f. 10%). Ingestion and dermal exposures were estimated for child- and adult-intermittent and adult-occupational users. Adult-occupational users exceeded the U.S. EPA Reference Dose (RfD) for Sb and the CA Proposition 65 maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for Pb was exceeded for all user scenarios. The Pb dose from body paint was sufficient to raise blood lead levels (BLL) in all user scenarios above baseline BLLs from 0.2 μg/dL to 1.9 μg/dL per the Adult Lead Model (ALM) and child Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) blood Pb models. Change in BLL was less than 1 μg/dL amongst the child and adult-intermittent users, the benchmark change in BLL developed for health risk assessments for children. Adult-occupational users exceeded the CA Proposition 65 NSRL intake value of 15 μg/day, which corresponds to an increase of 1.2 μg/dL above baseline levels using ALM. Exposure of occupational users of costume cosmetics should be evaluated further to prevent unnecessary metal exposure.

Keywords: Arsenic; Cadmium; Chromium; Cosmetic; Face paint; Halloween; Lead; Makeup; Metalloid; Metals.