Preliminary Study of Heavy Metals in Low-Cost Jewelry Items Available in Nigerian Markets
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Research Preliminary Study of Heavy Metals in Low-Cost Jewelry Items Available in Nigerian Markets Gilbert U. Adie, Background. Many developing countries either lack or have weakly enforced regulations on Esther O. Oyebade, Boluwatife M. imported goods. A high percentage of low-cost jewelry items in Nigeria are imported from Atanda abroad. There is concern about the levels of heavy metals present in these products. Objectives. The present study examined the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium Department of Chemistry, Faculty of (Cr) and nickel (Ni) in inexpensive jewelry purchased from retail wholesale shops in Ibadan Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, metropolis, southwestern Nigeria. Nigeria Methods. One hundred (100) assorted jewelry items were digested in dilute nitric acid solution followed by atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis. Corresponding author: Results. Out of the total number of jewelry items analyzed, 12% of them had Pb Gilbert U. Adie concentrations above European Union (EU) safety limits. Also, 63%, 42% and 62% of items Tel. +2348059998665 had Cd, Cr and Ni average concentrations above their EU limits. Notably, 3%, 27% and 8% of [email protected] the items had Pb, Cd and Cr concentrations over 103 times above their EU limits Overall, Cd showed the highest average level in rings (256,952 mg/kg) followed by bracelets (60,627 mg/ kg) and earrings (54,388 mg/kg). All metals in solid bangles were within their EU guidelines. Conclusions. Given the significant deleterious impacts of these metals on human health, low- cost jewelry poses a serious potential threat to users’ health. Policies to guarantee the safety of Introduction low-cost jewelry items must be established and enforced. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests. Human exposure to heavy metals is Keywords. low-cost jewelry, Heavy metals, European Union safety limit, Ibadan, Nigeria. on the rise and requires both global Received March 27, 2020. Accepted August 20, 2020. and regional attention.1 In addition J Health Pollution 28: (201202) 2020 to background and natural sources, © Pure Earth like rock weathering, volcanoes, etc., there are many other anthropogenic sources of heavy metal pollution, including crude recycling of used lead acid batteries and end-of-life risk of the metals being extracted by (II), magnesium (II) and iron (II) electronic wastes, wear and tear of the saliva or swallowing, in addition to and monovalent cations like sodium vehicular bodies and tires, untreated dermal exposure. There has also been (I), which eventually disrupts the industrial effluents and releases from evidence of the transfer of toxic metals biological metabolism of the cell. This metallurgical industries. Another from mothers’ breast milk to their causes significant changes in various overlooked source, especially in children.4 biological processes. Substitution of developing countries, is metal calcium in ultra-trace concentrations released from low-cost jewelry items Many heavy metals have irreversible affects protein kinase carbon which through either dermal contact or deleterious effects on young children. regulates neural excitation and ingestion. Children and women are For instance, lead (Pb) is known to memory storage.1 Cadmium (Cd) more vulnerable to exposure to toxic reduce intelligence quotient, especially has been found to easily replace zinc, metals because of their behavior and in children, induce kidney damage thereby inhibiting its activities as a free physiological makeup.2-3 Women are and can be fatal with high dose radical as well as binding to cysteine– more prone to wear jewelry items than exposures.3,5 Other acute symptoms rich protein in cells and can lead to men, and therefore are at higher risk of from Pb poisoning can include loss deficiency in iron (II).7 Cadmium exposure, especially through the skin. of appetite, headache, hypertension, exposure has been observed to cause Children are even more vulnerable abdominal pain, arthritis, etc.6 A osteoporosis (skeletal damage) and than adults as many of them normally possible lead toxicity mechanism kidney damage in both humans and play with their jewelry items by could occur when Pb2+ replaces other animals.8 The metal is known mouthing them, and therefore are at other bivalent cations like calcium for causing the common health hazard 1 Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 28 — December 2020 Adie, Oyebade, Atanda Research Heavy Metals in Jewelry in Nigerian Markets called ‘Itai Itai disease’ first noticed Abbreviations in Japan around 1912.9 Chromium (Cr) exists in different valent states AAS Atomic absorption BDL Below detection limit with Cr(III) the most stable, less toxic spectrometer and beneficial in glucose metabolism EU European Union in humans, while Cr(VI) is highly unstable, toxic and carcinogenic in nature. Nasal ulcer is common among workers that deal with Cr-containing compounds.1 Nickel (Ni) is not an essential metal and quite toxic, added to jewelry items to serve as in Ibadan, southwestern Nigerian. especially in aquatic environments. coating agents, to lower the cost of Table 1 presents a summary of the Nickel does not break down easily manufacturing (as many of them jewelry item types, weight and cost in the environment and can bio- are cheap), for easier workability, to ranges (all jewelry items were under accumulate in living systems for many provide shiny surfaces and to make $2 US dollars) while Figure 1 provides years even at low level exposures. jewelry items heavier in attempt to photos of some of the items studied. The metal is usually regarded as mimic superior quality products. All items were stored separately in a xenobiotic substance in human small polythene bags and labelled systems with risks of carcinogenicity.10 Nigeria, like most developing accordingly prior to analyses. countries, imports all kinds of jewelry There have been numerous cases items from abroad, mainly from Sample preparation and chemical of heavy metal poisoning through China, the USA, Brazil, Italy, India, analyses the ingestion of jewelry; in 2006 in and the United Kingdom, etc. There Minnesota, United States of America is high demand for consumer goods Jewelry items weighing ≤5.0 g were (USA), there was a case of fatal Pb in Nigeria as a result of increasing digested whole, while those weighing poisoning after a child ingested a population and lack of industries >5.0 g were carefully cut using acid Pb-contaminated charm; there was to produce products to meet this washed stainless handheld pliers into another instance of Pb poisoning in demand. Many of these goods arriving pieces and a piece weighing ≤5.0 g Oregon after a young child consumed in Nigeria do not meet the accepted was digested. The plier was cleaned a necklace medallion.11 These incidents guidelines due to either the lack of after every cut to prevent cross led to the recall of several million or weak enforcement of policies/ contamination. The method used Pb- and Cd-containing jewelry items regulations guiding the qualities of by Weidenhamer and Clement was on the market.3,12,13 Other studies on imported goods. The levels of toxic adopted with slight modification.18 human exposure to toxic metals in metals present in low-cost jewelry Each weighed item was placed in jewelry items have been reported.14-17 items sold in Nigerian markets is of a pre-cleaned Pyrex beaker and concern as there is paucity of data soaked overnight with 10 mL of Weidenhamer and Clement reported within the African region. Therefore, 50% (v/v) Analar grade nitric acid. that one of the main sources of Pb in the present study aimed to examine Each sample was then heated on a jewelry items could be from the use of the levels of heavy metals in low- thermostatic electric hot plate in recycled electronic wastes and battery cost jewelry items sold in Ibadan, the hood until complete dissolution Pb as a source material.18-20 They found southwestern Nigeria and to determine occurred. The digests were allowed Pb, tin, and copper composition in the safety of these products. to cool, then filtered using Whatman some jewelry items similar to that in filter paper and made up to mark in the solder of circuit boards, as well as Methods an appropriate volumetric flask. The Pb/antimony composition similar to concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni that in Pb batteries. Elemental Pb is The present study was conducted in the digests were then determined usually added to paints as a coloring between February and June 2019. A using Perkin-Elmer AAnalyst 200 agent in the production of toys and total of 100 low-cost jewelry items atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) low-cost jewelry items to prevent which were metallic in nature were equipped with single element hollow free radicals from reacting to form purchased from different retail and cathode lamp and 10 cm air–acetylene acidic media.5 Furthermore, heavy wholesale stores in Agbowo, Bodija, burner flame. Blank samples were also metals are sometimes intentionally Mokola, Dugbe and Agbeni markets carried out using the same method to 2 Adie, Oyebade, Atanda Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 28 — December 2020 Research Table 1 — Jewelry Items Figure 1 — Selected samples of studied jewelry items 3 Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 28 — December 2020 Adie, Oyebade, Atanda Research Heavy Metals in Jewelry in Nigerian Markets Table 2 — Summary of Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) in Jewelry Items Table 3 — Summary of Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) Across Jewelry Item Types 4 Adie, Oyebade, Atanda Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 28 — December 2020 Research Figure 2 — (a) Comparison of average Pb concentrations in gold-plated and silver-plated jewelry items; (b) Comparison of average Cd concentrations in gold-plated and silver-plated jewelry items check reagent impurities. detection limit (BDL)-922 000 mg/ earring, necklace and ring items that kg.