OT: Minn. to ban mercury in beauty products

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Minn. to ban mercury in beauty products By MARTIGA LOHN, Associated Press

WriterThu Dec 13, 5:23 PM ET

The quest for thicker lashes and defined eyes should get safer on Jan. 1, when

Minnesota bans mercury from mascara, eye liners and skin-lightening creams.

The state apparently is the first in the nation to ban intentionally-added

mercury in cosmetics. When the law takes effect, Minnesota will have a tougher

standard than the federal government, which allows small amounts of mercury as a

preservative in eye makeup.

Retailers who knowingly sell mercury-containing cosmetics could face fines of

as much as $700. Penalties could reach $10,000 for manufacturers who fail to

disclose mercury on product labels, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control

Agency.

" Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny quantities, "

said Sen. Marty, the Democrat from Roseville who sponsored the ban. " Every

source of mercury adds to it. We wanted to make sure it wasn't here. "

The cosmetics provision is part of a larger ban targeting better-known sources

of mercury, such as thermostats, barometers, industrial switches and medical

devices. The law also covers toiletries, fragrances and over-the-counter drugs

such as eye drops, nasal sprays, hemorrhoid treatments and antiseptics.

State pollution regulators said they don't know how many beauty products

containing mercury are sold in Minnesota.

The new law is intended as a warning to cosmetics manufacturers not to use

mercury, said Gilkeson, with the state Pollution Control Agency's toxics

reduction program. Enforcement will happen mainly when consumers complain.

" We clearly don't need this or want this, " Gilkeson said.

No other state has specifically gone after mercury in cosmetics, said

Malkan with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in Berkeley, Calif. Connecticut,

Rhode Island and Louisiana ban products containing more than low levels of

mercury, with some exceptions. New York and Illinois prohibit consumer products

with mercury, such as figurines, toys and jewelry.

" Personal care products contain many problematic chemicals, " Malkan said.

" Many ingredients aren't listed on the labels. "

Most makeup manufacturers have phased out the use of mercury, but it's still

added legally to some eye products as a preservative and germ-killer, said

, chief scientist with the Personal Care Products Association in

Washington. That group doesn't track mercury in beauty products and favors a

national approach to regulating cosmetics, instead of laws that vary from state

to state.

Federal law allows eye products to contain up to 65 parts per million of

mercury. The exposure a person would get from a product used in small quantities

around the eyes would not cause a problem, said.

" It's added at very low levels, and for good reason, " he said.

Using eye makeup with mercury is unlikely to cause immediate health problems,

but mercury accumulates in the body so consumers should avoid exposure whenever

possible, said Carl Herbrandson, a toxicologist with the state Health

Department.

" Mercury is bad, basically in all forms that get into the body, " Herbrandson

said.

Mercury can retard brain development in children and fetuses, who are most

vulnerable to the metal's toxic effects. But mercury can also cause neurological

symptoms in adults.

Mercury fumes can collect inside a jar of skin cream or a tube of mascara, and

a person could inhale them when the container is opened, Herbrandson said.

Imported skin-lightening creams and soaps with high levels of mercury have

been found in other states; they are illegal under federal law. Herbrandson said

skin products with mercury are more dangerous than mercury-containing eye makeup

because people apply larger quantities to their bodies.

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

yeah good for them, lead the way for other states to follow PLEASE!!!

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NOT a sprint, but FULLY possible!

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OT: Minn. to ban mercury in beauty products

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071213/ap_on_he_me/mercury_in_mascara;_ylt=AtxQTWQC\

PuzHRVe7o.V_oCTVJRIF

Minn. to ban mercury in beauty products By MARTIGA LOHN, Associated Press

WriterThu Dec 13, 5:23 PM ET

The quest for thicker lashes and defined eyes should get safer on Jan. 1, when

Minnesota bans mercury from mascara, eye liners and skin-lightening creams.

The state apparently is the first in the nation to ban intentionally-added

mercury in cosmetics. When the law takes effect, Minnesota will have a tougher

standard than the federal government, which allows small amounts of mercury as a

preservative in eye makeup.

Retailers who knowingly sell mercury-containing cosmetics could face fines of

as much as $700. Penalties could reach $10,000 for manufacturers who fail to

disclose mercury on product labels, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control

Agency.

" Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny quantities, "

said Sen. Marty, the Democrat from Roseville who sponsored the ban. " Every

source of mercury adds to it. We wanted to make sure it wasn't here. "

The cosmetics provision is part of a larger ban targeting better-known sources

of mercury, such as thermostats, barometers, industrial switches and medical

devices. The law also covers toiletries, fragrances and over-the-counter drugs

such as eye drops, nasal sprays, hemorrhoid treatments and antiseptics.

State pollution regulators said they don't know how many beauty products

containing mercury are sold in Minnesota.

The new law is intended as a warning to cosmetics manufacturers not to use

mercury, said Gilkeson, with the state Pollution Control Agency's toxics

reduction program. Enforcement will happen mainly when consumers complain.

" We clearly don't need this or want this, " Gilkeson said.

No other state has specifically gone after mercury in cosmetics, said

Malkan with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in Berkeley, Calif. Connecticut,

Rhode Island and Louisiana ban products containing more than low levels of

mercury, with some exceptions. New York and Illinois prohibit consumer products

with mercury, such as figurines, toys and jewelry.

" Personal care products contain many problematic chemicals, " Malkan said.

" Many ingredients aren't listed on the labels. "

Most makeup manufacturers have phased out the use of mercury, but it's still

added legally to some eye products as a preservative and germ-killer, said

, chief scientist with the Personal Care Products Association in

Washington. That group doesn't track mercury in beauty products and favors a

national approach to regulating cosmetics, instead of laws that vary from state

to state.

Federal law allows eye products to contain up to 65 parts per million of

mercury. The exposure a person would get from a product used in small quantities

around the eyes would not cause a problem, said.

" It's added at very low levels, and for good reason, " he said.

Using eye makeup with mercury is unlikely to cause immediate health problems,

but mercury accumulates in the body so consumers should avoid exposure whenever

possible, said Carl Herbrandson, a toxicologist with the state Health

Department.

" Mercury is bad, basically in all forms that get into the body, " Herbrandson

said.

Mercury can retard brain development in children and fetuses, who are most

vulnerable to the metal's toxic effects. But mercury can also cause neurological

symptoms in adults.

Mercury fumes can collect inside a jar of skin cream or a tube of mascara, and

a person could inhale them when the container is opened, Herbrandson said.

Imported skin-lightening creams and soaps with high levels of mercury have

been found in other states; they are illegal under federal law. Herbrandson said

skin products with mercury are more dangerous than mercury-containing eye makeup

because people apply larger quantities to their bodies.

---------------------------------

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