Using Kajal leads to LEAD POISIONING

Kohl, Kajal, Al-Kahl, or Surma:By Any Name, Beware of Lead Poisoning

Many may be unaware of the risk of lead poisoning, in both adults and children, from an easily avoidable source: the traditional eye cosmetic known variously as kohl, kajal, al-kahl, or surma.

• What is kohl made of?
  Samples tested often contain significant amounts of lead. Lead sometimes accounts for more than half the weight of a sample of kohl, usually in the form of lead sulfide. Kohl may also contain a variety of other materials, such as aluminum, antimony, carbon, iron, and zinc compounds, as well as camphor and menthol.
  
• What are the effects of lead poisoning?
  The risks associated with exposure to lead are especially serious for children, who are particularly susceptible to absorbing lead from the environment. Among the effects associated with high levels of exposure are anemia, kidney problems, and neurological damage that may include seizures, coma and death. Even at relatively low levels, chronic exposure to lead may lead to learning and behavior problems
  
• Is kohl directly linked to increased levels of lead in children?
  Yes. FDA has learned of recent instances of kohl-related lead poisoning in children in the U.S. A number of studies have shown that children exposed to kohl have increased levels of lead in their blood. This exposure puts them at increased risk for the serious consequences of lead poisoning.
  
• How are children exposed to kohl?
  In some cultures, it is common for parents to apply kohl to the eyes of infants and children. Infants of mothers who use kohl sometimes have elevated levels of lead in their blood.9, 11 Also, some people traditionally paint a newborns umbilical stump with kohl, supposedly for medicinal reasons.
  
• If someone in my family has been exposed to kohl, what should I do?
  Stop all use of kohl immediately and be especially careful to protect children from further exposure. Place unused kohl in a salable container or plastic bag and contact your local sanitation or waste department regarding appropriate methods for disposal. Thoroughly wash hands and any other body parts that may have come in contact with kohl. Wash exposed household surfaces with soap and hot water. Ask a health care provider to test children as well as pregnant or nursing women for lead poisoning if they have used kohl.
  
• Where does kohl come from?
  Popular in much of the world since ancient times, particularly in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Pakistan, and India, kohl now sometimes appears in Europe and North America, especially in some Middle Eastern and Asian specialty markets. Despite its illegal status in the U.S., it may be imported surreptitiously, for example, in personal luggage. It also has been advertised for mail order on some Web sites.
• Read more.. FDA Lead Poisoning