PRESENCE OF ASBESTOS IN LOCALLY AVAILABLE BRANDS OF TALCUM POWE\DER: A PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD.

Talcum powder is produced from Talc, a magnesium tri-silicate mineral. Asbestiform Talc is a type of Talc containing asbestos fibers including Chrysotile, Amosite, Tremolite, Antigorite and Crocidolit, Researchers from American Cancer Society have reported that presence of fine asbestos present in the talcum powder is a major source of lungs and ovarian cancer.  Life time use of talcum powder on the genital areas or sanitary napkins increases a woman’s risk of contracting ovarian cancer by more than three times.

Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC) has conducted a study to evaluate the presence of asbestos fiber in commonly used Talcum Powders marketed in Pakistan.  The study was conducted in collaboration with Centre of Excellence in Geology & Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar.

Thirty one locally and imported brands of talcum powder were analyzed for the presence of asbestos along with the classification of various types of asbestos mineral present.

Results showed that all samples of Talcum Powder including local and imported brands contained mixture of different types of asbestos fibers and other hazardous minerals and can not be recommended as of cosmetic grade.  The detailed individual fibers analysis of representative samples also confirms the presence of asbestos fibers (Chrysotile, Termolite) in different brands.  The Xylographic Radiological Data also indicate the presence of hazardous minerals i.e. Quartz, Non Asbestiform Amphibole mineral, Mica and Calcite, Quartz dust is considered to be carcinogenic.  However, this study is too small to draw a definite conclusion regarding the precise quantity and quality of all types of asbestos.

Since, internationally, it has been reported that a fiber size <0.25um in diameter and > 8um in long cause lung and ovarian cancer therefore, it is recommended that more intensive research should be undertaken to determine the precise size of asbestos fiber in locally available talcum powders.  Further studies shall be undertaken to measure the size of the fiber and determine its association with cancer.