![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
10-03-2022, 12:44 PM
By Meera Senthilingam, CNN
Skin whitening products containing high levels of mercury continue to be sold on the world's biggest e-commerce platforms, including websites run by eBay, Amazon and Alibaba
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For its research, ZMWG purchased and tested 271 skin lightening products from more than 40 e-commerce sites in 17 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Of these, 129 products in 16 countries were found to have high levels of mercury and were being sold on more than 30 different sites.
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The use of mercury in cosmetics is restricted in most countries due to its toxic effects. In 2013, the Minamata convention on mercury set an international limit for cosmetics of 1mg/kg of mercury, or 1 part per million (ppm) which came into force in 2021
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But 47% of the skin whitening products tested by the ZMWG contained more than the permitted level of mercury, with many containing over 10,000 ppm of mercury -- and some over 50,000ppm
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The ZMWG, an international coalition of more than 110 public interest, environmental and health NGOs from over 55 countries, is calling for online e-commerce sites to be made liable for products sold on their platforms and asking that they fully comply with the health and safety laws of countries they are selling in.
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The skin whitening industry is estimated at US$8 billion worldwide and is predicted to reach $11.8 billion by 2026. Studies suggest that women account for almost 80% of sales worldwide.
Mercury has long been used in skin whitening products due to its ability to block the production of melanin in the skin -- the pigment that gives color to skin. It is extremely toxic to health at high levels
Lots more at super long report at: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/09/world...index.html
Skin whitening products containing high levels of mercury continue to be sold on the world's biggest e-commerce platforms, including websites run by eBay, Amazon and Alibaba
......
For its research, ZMWG purchased and tested 271 skin lightening products from more than 40 e-commerce sites in 17 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Of these, 129 products in 16 countries were found to have high levels of mercury and were being sold on more than 30 different sites.
......
The use of mercury in cosmetics is restricted in most countries due to its toxic effects. In 2013, the Minamata convention on mercury set an international limit for cosmetics of 1mg/kg of mercury, or 1 part per million (ppm) which came into force in 2021
......
But 47% of the skin whitening products tested by the ZMWG contained more than the permitted level of mercury, with many containing over 10,000 ppm of mercury -- and some over 50,000ppm
......
The ZMWG, an international coalition of more than 110 public interest, environmental and health NGOs from over 55 countries, is calling for online e-commerce sites to be made liable for products sold on their platforms and asking that they fully comply with the health and safety laws of countries they are selling in.
......
The skin whitening industry is estimated at US$8 billion worldwide and is predicted to reach $11.8 billion by 2026. Studies suggest that women account for almost 80% of sales worldwide.
Mercury has long been used in skin whitening products due to its ability to block the production of melanin in the skin -- the pigment that gives color to skin. It is extremely toxic to health at high levels
Lots more at super long report at: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/09/world...index.html
