The Analytical Survey of Mercury Content in Whitening Cream Sold in Banjarnegara Regency's Traditional Market

Whitening cream is a mixture of active substances and the other additives that can be used to brighten the skin. Mercury is one of the whitening ingredients of the creams that can cause health problems when it is absorbed into the tissue. This study aims to identify whether there is a mercury content and how much mercury is contained in the whitening cream, which does not have a BPOM RI registration number (National Agency of Food and Drug Control, Republic of Indonesia) circulating in the market in Banjarnegara regency, Central Java, Indonesia. This research was conducted with purposive sampling, and 20 samples were obtained from the traditional market in Banjarnegara regency. The qualitative analysis method used the Potassium Iodide (KI) color reaction test and amalgam formation with copper rods, while the quantitative analysis used the Cold Vapor Mercury Analyzer at a wavelength of 253.7 nm. The results showed the presence of three positive samples containing mercury at average levels of 0.04217 mg / kg (ppm), 0.01814 mg / kg, and 0.91000 mg / kg. These findings suggest that mercury was added at the whitening cream and distributed in the market. Customers should be more careful when choosing a whitening cream to prevent health problems.