scholarly journals Evaluation of the general public’s knowledge on ingredients in personal care products

Author(s):  
Jessica (So Hyun) Ahn ◽  
BCIT School of Health Sciences, Environmental Health ◽  
Helen Heacock

  Objectives: The average person living in North America is exposed to hundreds of chemical ingredients, including those that are harmful to human health, through application of personal care products. The manufacture of personal care products is largely untested and unregulated at a government level; legislation is not as prescriptive as the public would expect it to be. This shifts the responsibility to consumers to use their own discretion when purchasing personal care products. The purpose of this research was to assess the knowledge of the Canadian general public regarding ingredients in personal care products to determine if they have enough knowledge to avoid harmful substances. Methods: A knowledge assessment survey was conducted to two different groups in Canada. The first group consisted of the general public who did not have a background in toxicology or dermatology, and the second group consisted of Public Health Inspectors in Lower Mainland B.C. The test scores from the knowledge assessment were compared between the two groups to determine if there was a significant difference in the means. Results: The survey was completed by 39 Public Health Inspectors and 91 members of the general public. The mean score was 3.0256 for the Public Health Inspectors and 1.846 for the general public; the test score was out of 10. Statistical analyses showed that the mean test scores were significantly different and the null hypothesis (Ho: mean test score of the Public Health Inspectors = mean test score of the general public) was rejected at α= 0.05. Conclusion: The result showed that both groups had low level of knowledge regarding the ingredients in personal care products that are widely used in Canada. Even the chemical ingredients that are known or suspected to be dangerous to human health or have adverse effects on the environment were not recognized. Exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals can be prevented or reduced by setting a legal requirement of a maximum concentration, imposing marketing restrictions or requiring better labelling of hazardous ingredients to improve public awareness of potential risk.  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dechasa Adare Mengistu

Abstract Background Besides their benefits, heavy metals are toxic, persistent, and hazardous to human health, even at their lower concentrations. Consumption of unsafe concentrations of food contaminated with heavy metals may lead to the disruption of numerous biological and biochemical processes in the human body. In developing country including Ethiopia, where untreated or partially treated wastewater is used for agricultural purposes, the problems related to the consumption foods contaminated with heavy metals may poses highest risk to human health. Therefore, this review was aimed to determine the public health implications of heavy metals in foods and drinking water in Ethiopia. Methods The articles published from 2016 to 2020 were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases that include MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAH, Google Scholar, WHO, and FAO Libraries. The data was extracted using a predetermined data extraction form using Microsoft Excel, 2016. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018 and Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools to determine the relevance of the studies. Finally, the results were evaluated based on the FAO/WHO guidelines for foods and drinking water. Results A total of 1019 articles published from 2016 to 2020 were searched from various electronic databases and by manual searching on Google. Following the initial screening, 317 articles were retrieved for evaluation and 49 articles were assessed for eligibility, of which 21 studies were included in the systematic review. The mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Mn in fruits and vegetables ranged from 2.068–4.29, 0.86–1.37, 1.90–4.70, 1.01–3.56, 3.43–4.23, 19.18–98.15, 4.39–9.42, 1.037–5.27, 0.19–1.0, 199.5–370.4, 0.26–869 mg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration Cr, Cd, Pb, As, Zn, and Fe in meat and milk ranged from 1.032–2.72, 0.233–0.72, 1.32–3.15, 0.79–2.96, 78.37–467.7, and 505.61–3549.9 mg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu in drinking water ranged 0.0089–0.054, 0.02–0.0237, 0.005–0.369, 0.625–2.137, and 0.176–1.176 ml/L, respectively. The mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn in other edible cereals ranged from 0.973–2.165, 0.424–0.55, 0.65–1.70, 70.51–81.58, 14.123–15.98, 1.89–13.8, 1.06–1.59, 67.866–110.3, and 13.686–15.4 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusion This systematic review identified heavy metals in foods and drinking water and determined their public health implications. The results of this finding imply that the majority of the studies reported high concentrations of toxic heavy metals in foods and drinking water that are hazardous to human health. Therefore, effective food safety and risk-based food quality assessment are essential to protect the public health.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po-Yu Chen

For certain types of foods, food vendors often label low-quality foods that are harmless to human health as foods of excellent quality and sell these falsely labeled products to consumers. Because this type of food poses no harm to human health, when public health units discover their act of false labeling or food adulteration, vendors are only penalized with a fine rather than having them assume criminal liability. Upon discovering vendors act of falsely labeling food, public health units typically punish the involved parties according to the extent of false labeling. Such static protective measure is ineffective. Instead, the extent of punishment should be based not only on the extent of false labeling, but also on the frequency of food sampling as well as the number of samples obtained for food inspections. Only through this dynamic approach can food adulteration or false labeling be effectively prevented. Adopting the standpoint of the public sector in food safety management, this study developed a mathematical model that facilitates discussion on the aforementioned problems. Furthermore, we discussed how the supply-demand environmental factors of the food market are influenced by the administrative means that the public health units have used to prevent food false labeling.


2013 ◽  
Vol 726-731 ◽  
pp. 2502-2505
Author(s):  
Zhong Hua Huang ◽  
Zheng Li Liu ◽  
Li Jun Zhu ◽  
Guli Mira Akbar

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been widely detected in aquatic environment in recent years; as emerging micro-pollutants, their influence on human health and ecological environment safety are of increasing concern. Membrane filtration is considered as the suitable separation method for PPCPs removal due to different removal mechanisms. This paper reviews the removal efficiency and removal mechanisms for PPCPs by NF/RO membranes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Cummings

Public health communication makes extensive use of a linguistic formulation that will be called the “no evidence” statement. This is a written or spoken statement of the form “There is no evidence that P” where P stands for a proposition that typically describes a human health risk. Danger lurks in these expressions for the hearer or reader who is not logically perspicacious, as arguments that use them are only warranted under certain conditions. The extent to which members of the public are able to determine what those conditions are will be considered by examining data obtained from 879 subjects. The role of “no evidence” statements as cognitive heuristics in public health reasoning is considered.


Author(s):  
Sherifa Mostafa M. Sabra ◽  
Samar Ahamed

The search conducted on "The impact of global warming (GW) on the public health (PH) increasing the bacterial causing infectious diseases (IDs) performed by experiment: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) insects, Taif, KSA", the experiment used ants (Taif Tapinoma sessile), prepared, arranged appropriate nests and adjusted the temperature at (20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45°C), for a week of each zone. It revealed the behaviour as (normal, semi-normal and ab-normal), the mean of mortality rates were between (0-53.3%). The bacterial contents measured by the turbidity indicated the presence of multiplication, were between (0.109-0.328). The bacterial growth degrees by sings were between (+ - +++++) and percent between (12-100%). Colony Forming Unit/ml (CFU/ml) confined between (1.8X102-15.0X102)/mL. Through this experiment it turned out the GW had a significant role on the PH, helped the proliferation of bacterial pathogens that caused IDS. The conclusion wiped from the experiment that the extent degrees of GW disadvantages on the PH. The PH workers must take the "Preventive Health Prophylaxis Measures" (PHPMs) to protect the individuals from IDs by eliminating the VBDs of various types, monitoring the immunological situation of individuals, provided the vaccinations of IDs and preparing for complete PHPMs against any changes in the PH.


2018 ◽  
Vol 621 ◽  
pp. 1093-1102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Yao ◽  
Jian-Liang Zhao ◽  
You-Sheng Liu ◽  
Qian-Qian Zhang ◽  
Yu-Xia Jiang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Robert E. Weems

This chapter discusses how Anthony Overton’s relocation to Chicago in 1911 proved to be one of the wisest moves of his life. Within a short period of time, the once frustrated entrepreneur established an important business niche in one of America’s leading cities. Yet Anthony Overton’s first years in Chicago were not without challenges. Within a year after his arrival, the sudden death of his wife, Clara, forced Overton to reorient both his personal and business affairs. He subsequently began to more fully incorporate his daughters and other attractive young females as the “public face” of his personal care products company. This maneuver helped increase the Overton-Hygienic Manufacturing Company’s prominence in an industry then dominated by his primary competitors, Annie Turnbo-Malone and Madam C. J. Walker.


2019 ◽  
Vol 967 ◽  
pp. 179-188
Author(s):  
Mohamad Padri ◽  
Mohamed Sahrul Tamzil

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment have been intensively studied recently. These compounds can cause serious problem in environment. Intake of these compounds in low concentration can threat human health due to its reactivity and chemical composition. Occurrences of PPCPs in environments are important to recognize in order to draw broad understanding on which mitigation of PPCPs can be deliberated. This review provides general information about occurrence of PPCPs. Moreover, sources of PPCPs in the environment are comprehensively explained. The fate and transport mechanisms of PPCPs are summarized based on important studies of selected groups of PPCPs which conducted through years based on several previous study cases are mentioned and elaborated to pinpoint the existence of these pollutants. In the end, identification of the current research limitation and further recommendations are proposed for improving mitigation process and addressing further research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 507 ◽  
pp. 720-724
Author(s):  
Wan Qian Guo ◽  
Hai Ou Cao ◽  
Xian Jiao Zhou ◽  
Ren Li Yin

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface water, and their potential impacts on human health are emerging issues all over the world. This paper summarizes the data from worldwide research groups, aiming to illustrate the occurrence of PPCPS, and their potential threatens to human health. Furthermore, the current efficient treatment methods for the PPCPS were discussed as well.


2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 283-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumudu Atapattu

For several decades now we have been acutely aware of the increasingly intensifying effect that environmental degradation has on human health. While many of these effects are localized, given the increasingly global nature of environmental problems their impact on human health has also become global in dimension. Health experts are becoming more and more concerned about the potential impact on public health if no precautionary measures are taken to deal with these global environmental problems.Of course, environmental problems have consequences beyond their public health impact. The emphasis in this Article on public health should not be taken as advocating an anthropocentric approach to environmental problems. This Article focuses on public health as a way of drawing attention to the enormity of the problem.


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