The concentrations of nine metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) were determined in lip sticks, lip glosses, lip balms, eye pencils, eyeliners, eye shadows, blushes, mascaras and face powders. The study was aimed at providing information on the risk associated with human exposure to metals in these facial cosmetic products. The concentrations of metals in the samples were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry after digestion with a mixture of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The mean concentrations of metals in these facial cosmetics ranged from 3.1 to 8.4 μg g-1 Cd, 12-240 μg g-1 Pb, 9.1-44 μg g-1 Cr, 18-288 μg g-1 Ni, 1.6-80 μg g-1 Cu, 7.9-17 μg g-1 Co, 2.3-28 mg g-1 Fe, 12-230 μg g-1 Mn, and from 18 to 320 μg g-1 Zn. The concentrations of Ni, Cr and Co were above the suggested safe limit of 1 μg g-1 for skin protection, while Cd and Pb were above the Canadian specified limits. The systemic exposure dosage (SED) values for these metals obtained from the use of these facial cosmetic products were below their respective provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI)/or recommended daily intake (RDI) values. The margin of safety values obtained were greater than 100 which indicated that the concentrations of the metals investigated in these facial cosmetics do not present considerable risk to the users except in the case of face powders.

The concentrations of Ʃ14 PCBs were determined, with the aid of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), in transformer/turbine oils, soils, groundwater, and drainage water collected within a power plant in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. The Ʃ14 PCB concentrations in the transformer oils, drainage water, groundwater and soils ranged from 484 to 48506 mg kg-1, 0.99 to 2.95 mg L-1, 0.16 to 0.56 mg L-1 and from 8.4 to 510 mg kg-1 respectively. The congener distribution patterns in these samples indicate the dominance of highly chlorinated homologues (hepta- and octa-PCBs). The Σ14 PCB concentrations in the transformer oils were above the provisional definition of low persistent organic pollutant (POP) content for PCBs of 50 mg kg-1 as defined in the guidelines on the management of POP waste of the Basel Convention. The concentrations of Ʃ14 PCBs in the soils were above the Dutch guideline value of 1000 μg kg-1 and the estimated incremental lifetime cancer risks relating to exposure of humans to PCBs in soils indicate serious health risks. There is therefore a need to implement a surveillance programme in the vicinity of power plants to determine the impacts on the adjacent ecosystem.