Analysis of lead in sindoor and related religious powders purchased in New Jersey and India
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Shah, Manthan.
Analysis of lead in sindoor and related religious powders purchased in New Jersey and India. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3QC05VPExport
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TitleAnalysis of lead in sindoor and related religious powders purchased in New Jersey and India
Date Created2016
Other Date2016-10 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (x, 128 p. : ill.)
DescriptionSindoor, an orange, maroon or red powder used for Hindu cultural and religious purposes, has been found to be adulterated with lead tetroxide, (Pb3O4, red lead). Red lead is often added to give the sindoor powder a deep red color. The adverse health effects caused by lead exposure have been widely documented and in children can include abdominal pain, learning disabilities reduced attention span, slowed growth and antisocial and delinquent behavior. Currently, there is no known safe level of lead exposure in children. We believe this is the first study to comprehensively assess lead (Pb) concentrations in sindoor and related powders from not only a wide geographical area in an entire state but also in those sindoor powders purchased directly from India. A total of 170 religious powders were purchased in different regions of the state (Northern, Central and Southern Jersey). Out of those 170 powders, 118 were sindoor and 52 were miscellaneous religious powders. Of the 118 powders, 95 were purchased from 66 South Asian stores in New Jersey while 23 were purchased in India. The miscellaneous powders were purchased in New Jersey. Laboratory analysis revealed how, among, U.S. sindoor powders, 79 (83.2%) of tested powders contained >1 ug/g Pb. The median lead concentration for tested U.S. sindoor powders was 3.0 ug/g Pb with a maximum Pb level of >300,000 ug/g Pb. For sindoor powders purchased in India, 18 (78.3%) samples contained >1 ug/g Pb. The median Pb concentrations for these sindoor powders was 12.7 ug/g Pb with a maximum Pb level of >300,000 ïug/g Pb. Two samples, purchased from Mumbai, contained >1% Pb. A third sample, also purchased from Mumbai, contained 0.5% ug/g Pb. For miscellaneous religious powders, 29 (55.8%) powders contained >1 ug/g Pb. The median Pb concentration for these powders was 1.1 ug/g Pb with a maximum Pb level of 61.0 ug/g Pb. Semi-quantitative x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and colormetric tests successfully identified lead in samples with higher Pb levels (i.e., >300,000 ug/g), but were not effective for samples with lower Pb levels. In summary, these results underscore the need for hazard surveillance of sindoor.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Manthan Shah
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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