Overview
This ACS Omega paper develops and validates a magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (MDSPE-FAAS) method using Fe3O4@TEOS nanoparticles for cadmium determination in powdered cosmetic matrices without conventional acid digestion, then applies it to 29 commercial makeup products from Brazil. The sample set explicitly includes 13 products marketed for children. Cadmium was detected in 16 of 29 samples (55.2%), with concentrations ranging from 0.54 to 25.72 mg/kg. Noncarcinogenic risk assessment (hazard quotient, HQ) remained below 1 for all positive samples, but lifetime cancer risk (LCR) exceeded the 10 to the negative 4 conservative threshold for all 16 cadmium-positive samples. Children’s products showed 3.4 times higher mean LCR than adult products due to lower body weight used in calculations. The paper is unique in this deposit as the only study that explicitly tests cosmetic products marketed and sold as children’s makeup for cadmium contamination.
Key numbers
All cadmium concentrations are in finished product as placed on market. Units are mg/kg. The method was validated without acid digestion: a dry extraction procedure using Fe3O4@TEOS magnetic nanoparticles at optimized pH 8-10.
Method performance
LOD: 0.0016 mg/L
LOQ: 0.0053 mg/L
Linear range: 0.010 to 0.100 mg/L
R squared: 0.9959
Intraday CV: 2.83 to 6.99%
Interday CV: 4.45 to 8.35%
Recovery: 90.71 to 112.65%
Detection frequency
| Category | n products | Cd-positive | Detection rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children’s products | 13 | 8 | 61.5% |
| Adult products | 16 | 8 | 50.0% |
| Total | 29 | 16 | 55.2% |
Cadmium concentrations in Cd-positive samples
Concentration range across all 16 positive samples: 0.54 to 25.72 mg/kg.
Adult products (8 positive out of 16): range from below the source’s stated SED range minimum to 25.72 mg/kg. The highest single sample (sample 1) registered 25.72 mg/kg; this was an adult product.
Children’s products (8 positive out of 13): range up to 17.99 mg/kg. The highest children’s product (sample 25) registered 17.99 mg/kg.
Systemic exposure dose (SED) for adult products (body weight 60 kg): 1.76 times 10 to the negative 5 to 2.06 times 10 to the negative 4 mg/kg/day, mean 6.79 times 10 to the negative 5 mg/kg/day.
Systemic exposure dose for children’s products (body weight 15 kg): 1.74 times 10 to the negative 5 to 5.76 times 10 to the negative 4 mg/kg/day, mean 1.90 times 10 to the negative 4 mg/kg/day. Children’s SED approximately 2.8 times higher than adult SED at equivalent cadmium (Cd) concentration due to body weight difference.
Health risk assessment (HQ, LCR)
Hazard quotient (noncarcinogenic risk, threshold HQ = 1):
- Adult products: HQ 0.018 to 0.206 (mean 0.085); all below 1.
- Children’s products: HQ 0.017 to 0.576 (mean 0.237); highest sample (25) at 0.576; all below 1.
Lifetime cancer risk (LCR, using CSF = 6.7 (mg/kg/day) to the negative 1 for Cd):
- Adult products: LCR values, all positive samples exceeded the 10 to the negative 4 conservative threshold. Highest LCR in sample 1: 1.38 times 10 to the negative 3.
- Children’s products: LCR 1.16 times 10 to the negative 4 to 3.86 times 10 to the negative 3, mean 1.52 times 10 to the negative 3. Highest in sample 25: 3.86 times 10 to the negative 3 (approximately 1 in 259 excess cancer risk over lifetime, 39 times above the 10 to the negative 4 threshold).
- Mean children’s LCR was 3.4 times higher than mean adult LCR.
Regulatory comparisons cited by the source
German BVL technically avoidable limit: 0.1 mg/kg Cd in cosmetics. 100% of Cd-positive samples exceeded this.
Health Canada guidance limit: 3 mg/kg Cd. 75% of Cd-positive samples exceeded this.
ASEAN guideline: 5 mg/kg Cd. 68.8% of Cd-positive samples exceeded this.
Brazil: no specific Cd limit for finished cosmetic products as of 2026.
Methods (brief)
Sample collection. 29 commercial makeup products (eyeshadow and blush) from the Brazilian market. Adult vs children’s classification based on product labeling and marketing.
Sample preparation. MDSPE without acid digestion: 25 mg of powdered sample in 5 mL solution, pH adjusted to 8-10, ultrasonic irradiation 5 min, mixed with 10 mg Fe3O4@TEOS at 1000 rpm for 10 min. Nanoparticles isolated magnetically; Cd desorbed and analyzed.
Analytical method. FAAS (Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry). Cadmium only; no other metals measured.
Health risk framework. SCCS Notes of Guidance (12th revision) for SED calculation; USEPA for HQ and LCR. Bioaccessibility factor (BF) set at 0.5 (50%) per SCCS recommendation. Cancer slope factor CSF = 6.7 (mg/kg/day) to the negative 1.
Speciation. Total elemental cadmium only. No speciation.
Implications
Certification. Provides the highest-confidence evidence in this deposit for cadmium occurrence in products explicitly marketed and sold as children’s makeup. The 13 children’s eyeshadow and blush products from Brazil showed Cd detection in 61.5% of samples (8/13) with concentrations up to 17.99 mg/kg. The finding that 100% of Cd-positive samples in the children’s category exceeded both the German BVL 0.1 mg/kg limit and the Health Canada 3 mg/kg limit underlines the regulatory gap in Brazil. This is direct A-tier evidence for the Children's Makeup (ages 0-5) page and for HMTc Cat 2 Row 13 cadmium profiling.
Courses. Useful as a teaching case for (a) green analytical chemistry alternatives to acid digestion in cosmetic matrices, (b) the HQ/LCR noncarcinogenic/carcinogenic dichotomy: all samples showed acceptable HQ but unacceptable LCR, illustrating why comprehensive risk assessments covering both end points are necessary, (c) children as a higher-risk subgroup in cosmetic exposure assessment due to body weight differences.
App. The cadmium concentrations in children’s eyeshadow and blush (up to 17.99 mg/kg) are relevant app inputs for contamination profiling of children’s color cosmetic products.
Related evidence
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