Safety evaluation of the metals in some brands of nail polish in Nigeria

This article shows the concentrations of ten metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Zn and Al) measured in 30 different brands of nail polish in the Nigerian market in order to provide some relevant information on the safe levels of these products for consumers. The metal concentrations in the nail polish samples ranged from <0.15 µg/g Cd, <0.03 to 7.25 µg/g Pb, <0.03 to 40 µg/g Ni, <0.1 to 8.25 µg/g Cr, <0.03 to 590 µg/g Cu, <0.03 to 3.00 µg/g Co, <0.1 to 15,200 µg/g Fe, <0.05 to 458 µg/g Mn, <0.03 to 595 µg/g Zn and <0.25 to 13,600 µg/g Al. The concentrations of Ni, Cr, and Co were found above the suggested allergenic limit of 1 µg/g in 56, 33 and 17 % of the 30 brands, respectively, whereas Cd and Pb were detected at levels below their permissible limits as impurities in cosmetics as specified by Health Canada. The brands made in Nigeria contained lower concentrations of Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Pb and Al than the imported brands.