Re: Just in case you use, or were thinking of using kohl........DON'T!
Posted by Olga Engelhardt on February 27, 2005 at 19:07:23:
In reply to: Just in case you use, or were thinking of using kohl........DON'T! posted by Catherine Cartwright-Jones on February 23, 2005 at 14:42:14:
: I was doing a research run on kohl today, working up an article for: harquus.
:
: Just in case you thought kohl was safe, sexy and had to be good
: because it was traditional, and someone told you it was safe: NuhHuh.
: Ignorance is NOT bliss. Ignorance can lead to brain damage. Read
: the abstracts of five published medical journal articles:
:
: 1:
:
: Kohl (surma): a toxic traditional eye cosmetic study in Saudi Arabia.
: By: Al-Ashban, R.M.; Aslam, M.; Shah, A.H.. Public Health, Jun2004,
: Vol. 118 Issue 4, p292, 7p, 3 charts, 2bw; (AN 13383334)
:
: The use of kohl (surma) as eyeliner is a popular practice in Saudi
: Arabia and people firmly believe that it is safe to use. A total of
: 107 kohl samples (branded and unbranded) were collected from different
: regions of Saudi Arabia, and analysed for the presence of read. In
: addition, aluminium and antimony revels were also determined. Lead
: revels up to 53% were detected in some kohl preparations, and some
: samples were found to contain camphor and menthol. The blood analyses
: of regular kohl users revealed a high lead concentration and
: relatively low haemoglobin levels. Due to the hearth risk, an official
: public awareness campaign is suggested to encourage the use of
: lead-free kohl.
:
: 1The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Nottingham,
: Nottingham, UK
: 2Central Laboratory for Drug & Food Analysis, Ministry of Health,
: Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaISSN:0033-3506Accession Number:13383334
:
:
: 2:
:
: Composition of eye cosmetics (kohls) used in Cairo. By: Hardy, Andrew
: D.; Walton, Richard I.; Vaishnav, Ragini. International Journal of
: Environmental Health Research, Feb2004, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p83, 9p; DOI:
: 10.1080/09603120310001633859; (AN 11622297)
:
: A total of 18 kohl samples were analysed using X-ray powder
: diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the
: samples were purchased in Cairo and eleven of them originated in
: Egypt. The main component of six samples was found to be galena (PbS);
: where four of these samples originated in Egypt and two in India. For
: a further ten samples the main component was found to be one of the
: following: amorphous carbon, calcite (CaCO 3 ), cuprite (Cu 2 O),
: goethite (FeO(OH)), elemental silicon or talc (Mg 3 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2
: ). For the last two samples the main component of each was an unknown
: amorphous organic compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
:
:
: 3:
:
: Childhood Lead Poisoning Through Kohl. By: Mojdehi, Goli M.; Gurtner,
: Jan. American Journal of Public Health, Apr96, Vol. 86 Issue 4, p587,
: 2p; (AN 9605102355)
:
:
: The article examines the role of kohl as a source of lead poisoning
: among Middle Eastern children. Of the population surveyed, 85 percent
: were from the Middle East, India, and Pakistan, and 15 percent were
: from Africa. Women who had not used kohl on their babies were asked to
: make assumptions about the use of this product on babies. Women
: usually gave several explanations as to why they used this product.
: Not only did kohl usage have a cosmetic value for these women, it
: usually also carried a deeper significance. Some attached traditional
: values, others medicinal or health values, and also religious
: significance to the use of this product. Cleaning the eyes, reducing
: soreness or redness of the eye, and increasing visual acuity were
: cited as health or medicinal benefits. Fifty-seven percent of the
: women were not aware of the danger of kohl lead poisoning and only
: 37.5 percent knew that kohl contained lead. Women did not know that
: lead crosses the placenta and that pregnant women wearing kohl can
: expose their infants to the danger of kohl lead poisoning.
:
:
: 4:
:
: Surma and lead poisoning. By: Ali, Aulfat R.; Smales, Oliver R.C.;
: Aslam, Mohamed. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 9/30/78, Vol. 2 Issue
: 6142, p915, 2p, 2 charts, 1bw; (AN 4929178)
:
: Examines the toxic effect of surma. Use of surma for the treatment of
: conjunctivitis; Measurement of blood lead concentration after
: treatment; Occurrence of lead encephalopathy after treatment.
:
:
: 5:
:
: Factors associated with elevated blood lead concentrations in children
: in Karachi, Pakistan. By: Rahbar, Mohammad Hossein; White,, Franklin;
: Agboatwalla, Mubina; Hozhabri, Siroos; Luby, Stephen. Bulletin of the
: World Health Organization, 2002, Vol. 80 Issue 10, p769, 7p, 3 charts;
: (AN 7683506)
:
: Objectives To confirm whether blood lead concentrations in Karachi
: were as high as reported in 1989 and to identify which types of
: exposure to lead contribute most to elevated blood lead concentrations
: in children in Karachi. Methods A total of 430 children aged 36–60
: months were selected through a geographically stratified design from
: the city centre, two suburbs, a rural community and an island situated
: within the harbour at Karachi. Blood samples were collected from
: children and a pretested questionnaire was administered to assess the
: effect of various types of exposure. Cooked food, drinking-water and
: house dust samples were collected from households. Findings About 80%
: of children had blood lead concentrations >10µg/dl, with an overall
: mean of 15.6µg/dl. At the 5% level of significance, houses nearer to
: the main intersection in the city centre, application of surma to
: children's eyes, father's exposure to lead at workplace, parents'
: illiteracy and child's habit of hand-to-mouth activity were among
: variables associated with elevated lead concentrations in blood.
: Conclusion These findings are of public health concern, as most
: children in Karachi are likely to suffer some degree of intellectual
: impairment as a result of environmental lead exposure. We believe that
: there is enough evidence of the continuing problem of lead in petrol
: to prompt the petroleum industry to take action. The evidence also
: shows the need for appropriate interventions in reducing the burden
: due to other factors associated with this toxic element. [ABSTRACT
: FROM AUTHOR]
:
: If you need to pass this on to someone, I'll have it written up in
: harquus.com and the encyclopedia of henna shortly, or send them the
: link to this post. Firsthand citations of medical journal articles
: has a useful level of credability.
dear Catherine
I was asked a few days ago about the employment and risks of kohl. Because I am a
German sholar and using now Algerian kohl for over 25 years I have done a little research
about the questions you are discussing here. First of all I will tell you that I have all the
time used my Algerian Kohl which may consist of galenit or stibnite without any health
problems and that I was thinking all the time it is antimony. As I was now asked about
kohl I was looking up in the english wikipedia for the reason to find english words for my
explanations. Doing so I was really astonished to find that "Kohl is a mixture of soot and
other ingredients, used by Egyptian and other Eastern women to darken the edges of the
eyelids", which is really wrong.
Knowing that scholars often only copy what another scholar has said before I became
thoughtful and was thinking about my own experiences of kohl. I do not know wether
Saudi-arabian woman in general are buying branded Kohl but I know that in the
Maghrebian Countries the woman in general are employing self-made Kohl and that they
will buy branded Kohl in Saudi-Arabia during the "haj" for "Souvenir" - gifts for their
friends. I have already described how and from which materials the self-made Kohl in the
Maghrebian countries is made here: http://www.hennatribe.com/viewtopic.php?
p=3649#3649 so I won't repeat it here.
My assumptions that kohl in most cases is made of carbon and may contain galenit or
antimon is clearly corroborated by the article you mentioned above (Composition of eye
cosmetics (kohls) used in Cairo.) I have to annote to this article
1.: that in this study the samples are bought on the market and that galenit (in German
Bleiglanz) is often mistaken for the natural sulfide of antimony, stibnite (in German
Grauspießglanz)
2.: that you will be able to distinguish easily kohl made of galenit or stibnite from kohl
made of carbon, because kohl of stibnite or galenit looks greyish silvery and sparkles
which the real black kohl of carbon never does. Also kohl made of galenit is very heavy in
comparision to the carbon made kohl.
3. that the kohl which is really made of stibnite contains only small amounts of pure
antimony (I haven't found any source mention an amount in reference) because the
element antimony occurs very rarely and is most found as a compound in stibnite (look up
the German wikepedia). It is this kohl to which all articles or comments about the health
properties refers. The most interesting article concerning kohl is that one of the
Encyclopedia of Islam, in which I have read (about 20 years ago) that antimony, among
other virtues, has the virtue to hold off flies, which in the middle east and North-Africa
carries the very common eye disease Trachom. However in the wikipedia antimony is
refered to be toxic and: "antimony poisoning is very similar to arsenic". I object against
this statement that you can't make such generalisations, because all Intoxination or
poisening depends on the quantity of the toxic matter and the way in which it is
administrated.
And now I am at the point because I am writing this long subjection. In the first abstract
you mentioned above (Kohl (surma): a toxic traditional eye cosmetic study in Saudi Arabia.
: By: Al-Ashban, R.M.; Aslam, M.; Shah, A.H.. Public Health, Jun2004,
: Vol. 118 Issue 4, p292, 7p, 3 charts, 2bw; (AN 13383334) are neclected the elementary
rules of science and it's seems to me only for to condemm the use of kohl or to
brandmark the users of it as retrograde or retarded: and you can prove that pseudo-
science by carfully examinating the summary. There it begins with the apparent exact
statement that " A total of: 107 kohl samples (branded and unbranded) were collected" but
it continous very vague with "Lead : revels up to 53% were detected in some kohl
preparations" As a serious scientist, who has the the concern to inform rather than to
unsettle, I would have anounced how many samples contain lead (obviosly there were
some, that would say not too many) and also I would say: levels between ...% and 53% were
detected and not up to 53% .... furthermore I am not understanding the relation about
the use of kohl and "Due to the hearth risk......"
Also your 3. example suffers of the same affliction. The employment of kohl is depicted as
superstition and higlighted against the fact that "Fifty-seven percent of the women were
not aware of the danger of kohl lead poisoning and only 37.5 percent knew that kohl
contained lead. Women did not know that lead crosses the placenta and that pregnant
women wearing kohl can expose their infants to the danger of kohl lead poisoning."
As I read this article I was highly astonished about the so-called fact that there exists a
danger of kohl lead poisoning. It was really new to me and so I was searching the Internet
about articles of lead poisoning. I have found that lead poisoning occures in most cases by
inhalation and ingestion. I didn't find any reliable source that deals with the question of
lead poisoning via skin. I found in a German article that studies about lead poisoning via
skin are not available. However, they all emphasise that the
the two ways of lead poisoning are inhalation and ingestion of lead. In all articles you can
read that the most important source for inhalation of lead is the lead employed as fuel
additive to prevent engine knocking. In this form thausands of tonns of lead are blown in
the air troughout the world. I know that leaded gasoline is banned for cars in North
America since 1986, but it is still added to kerosene. In Germany the the catalyst was
introduced 1985 but leaded gasoline still isn't prohibted. I don't know the laws concerning
leaded gasoline in the Maghrebian countries nor in the Middle East. But one thing is sure,
when I am returning from a journey in Algeria, Morocco or Tunesia I am always thinking
that the air I am breathing in Berlin (Germany) is like that one of a climatic spa.
In the German articles dealing with lead poisoning stemming from ingestion you will find
1. that the lead ingested is absorbed in the blood by adults at a rate of 10% and by
children up to 50%.
2. that the main source of Ingestion of lead is lead dust in the air settling down on fruit
and vegetables, and secondly fish and seafood. Therefore they are advising to peel all
fruits and vegetables and not to eat fish.
They also state that the lead absorbed in the blood crosses the placenta and is therefore a
danger to an unborn child. In your above mentioned summary you didn't get informed in
which way a may be lead contaminated kohl reaches the placenta. In lieu of a traceable
explanation of the so-called kohl lead poisoning I can only spot that terms like lead
poisoning, the may be contamination of kohl with lead and ignorance are mixed up in that
highly pejorative, ethnocentric and know-it-all statement "Fifty-seven percent of the
women were not aware of the danger of kohl lead poisoning and only 37.5 percent knew
that kohl contained lead. Women did not know that lead crosses the placenta and that
pregnant women wearing kohl can expose their infants to the danger of kohl lead
poisoning."
When I was writing a few days ago my point of view about the use and risk kohl my
doughter tried to calculate how much kohl you'd have to use to give your child a blood
concentration of 10 mg/dL, As she was doing this calculation we became aware that you
can't make honestly such a calculation, because two basic elements for the calculation,
how much lead is absorbed via skin and how much lead will pass into the milk as opposed
to the blood, weren't available. Nevertheless she calculated how much pure lead in a
soluble form you'd have to absorb. If your kohl were pure lead in a soluble form, you'd
have to go through a bottle of 5g in ten days.
To end my letter I will tell you, that I have used from my possibly lead contaminated
Algerian Kohl probably between 10 and 15 gramms in the space of 25 years. I can't it
determine exactly because I have never weighed it and have given away some of it.
During my studies I have read a wonderful book. It is written by Emile Benveniste (Le
Vocabulaire des Institutions Indo-Européenes, Paris 1969) and is treating the origin and
etymology of many words, which are common in the indo-european languages. There you
will find an essay about the words gift and dosis. The words have a double meaning. In
German gift means poison and in English it means present. In the German word Mitgift-
dowry the other sense oft the word gift is conserved. The word dosis has the same
ambiguity. The essay is resuming the difference or ambiguity in the words with the
conclusion that it depends of the dosis (the quantity) of the matter that is given, if it will
turn out as poison or gift.
Dr. Olga Engelhardt
Ethnologist for Maghrebian Countries
www.henna-und-mehr.de
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