Al-Marsad newspaper: An American woman partially lost her eyesight and unintentionally put her entire family at risk of mercury poisoning by using cosmetic creams that contain high levels of a toxic chemical.
Traces of mercury have been found in children’s bedrooms, beds, towels and in the laundry area, according to a report published by the American network “CNN”. According to SkyNews
The report, released by Dr. Irene Batdorf, who works for the Poison Control System in Minnesota, USA, revealed the complex symptoms the woman was suffering from.
He explained that “the most common symptom of possible mercury poisoning is a tingling or numbness sensation in the patient’s hands or feet.” She described the woman’s loss of vision as “a more serious and permanent symptom,” noting that the woman “will not regain her sight.”
– “There are likely to be many people who are exposed to toxic levels of mercury and show no symptoms, or at least not yet,” says the toxicologist.
At high levels, the inorganic mercury commonly found in these products is highly toxic, and chronic exposure can lead to kidney and liver damage.
– It also leads to neurological damage, including personality changes, anxiety and depression, and, as in the case of women, blindness.
Experts believe the source of the mercury in the woman’s accident was cosmetic creams, many of them for skin whitening, which were found in the family home.
The agency found that the amount of mercury in two of these products was several thousand higher than the permitted levels, but no mercury was listed as an ingredient in the products, according to the team.
