Industry and Cosmetic Uses of Talc with their Implication on Health

Talc’s softness, whiteness, lamellarity, inertness andaffinity for organic chemicals make it valuable forindustrial and domestic applications. The largestconsumers are the paper and ceramic industry; only 5%is used as cosmetics. It is also used for preserving animalfeed, and a carrier for drugs, insecticides, pesticides andchemicals. Talc was introduced as baby powder in 1894and advertised aggressively worldwide. Widespreadand indiscriminate use soon raised concerns aboutits implications for health. The IARC found that talccontaining asbestiform fibres is carcinogenic to humans,but inadequate evidence to implicate talc not-containingasbestiform fibres. Pulmonary manifestations of talcinhalation include talcosis, talcosilicosis, and talcoasbestosis.Drug-users administering talc-adulteratedoral medications intravenously develop pulmonarygranulomas, fibrosis and irreversible pulmonaryhypertension. Worldwide reports reveal talc inhalationis fatal to infants; it coats and dries mucus membranes,causes hemorrhage, edema, desquamation of bronchialepithelium, and clogs and compromises mucociliaryclearance; larger quantities completely obstruct airways.Progressive diffuse pulmonary fibrosis is a recognizedsequel to massive aspiration of baby powder. IARC hasclassified perineal use of talcum powder as a possibleovarian carcinogen, while a recent study has found thatperineal talcum powder increases the risk of endometrialcancer among postmenopausal women. There is a needto raise public awareness of the serious risks associatedwith the use of talcum powder and for legislation toprotect the health of the uninformed who representthe poorer segment of the community, and infants andyoung children. The dangers associated with cosmeticuse of talc outweigh any possible benefits.