eye makeup blamed in lead poisoning

more proof you can't be too paranoid about lead.

City bans eye makeup after lead found in tots
By Douglas Birch
Sun reporter
Originally published September 9, 2006

The Baltimore health commissioner ordered a ban yesterday on sales in the city of several brands of an eye cosmetic popular in parts of Asia, after two toddlers whose parents applied the product suffered significant lead poisoning.

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein said he asked the owner of one city specialty market to remove from its shelves several types of kohl eye makeup, marketed as Kajal, Al-Kahl and Surma.

A citywide ban could go into effect as early as Monday, he said. Violators could be fined up to $1,000 for each offense.

The city health commissioner acted after the state Department of the Environment found that two tubes of one brand sold in Maryland, "Hashmi Surma Special," contained 39 percent and 45 percent lead, respectively.

According to state officials, the higher figure is 750 times the current national limit for lead in paint. These levels, Sharfstein said, represent "just a huge amount of lead."

While investigating the lead poisoning of a Baltimore County boy and a girl in Silver Spring, state environmental officials discovered that both were poisoned by kohl products made in Pakistan. Both are between 2 and 4 years of age.

One of the families bought the makeup at a Baltimore market, officials said. The other family couldn't recall where they purchased it.

Horacio Tablada, waste management director of the state environment agency, said there are probably several markets in the state selling these lead-containing cosmetics, which is also sometimes used as a teething powder for infants.
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