@article{APANPA-QASIM_2021, title={Essential Metals of Public Health Concern in Nigeria}, volume={10}, url={https://fountainjournals.com/index.php/FUJNAS/article/view/364}, DOI={10.53704/fujnas.v10i2.364}, abstractNote={<p>Essential metals are imperative at every stage of human life. Their inclusion in consumer products has been seen over the years. Essential metals are used as fillers in paints. Fillers are granular solids incorporated to impart toughness and texture. The present study was conducted to evaluate the concentrations of essential metals from different manufacturers of paints with special emphasis on their health effects. Six metals, including Cr, Co, Ca, Ti, Mg and Al, were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry. On comparative basis, fourteen paint manufacturers depicted the white paints had the highest concentrations of Ca (10,400.0 mg/kg), Ti (3,170.0 mg/kg) and Al (4,300.0 mg/kg) while green, chocolate and pink paints had the highest concentrations of Co (37.4 mg/kg), Mg (99, 510.0 mg/kg) and Cr (225.0 mg/kg), respectively. The highest concentrations were found in unregistered manufacturers except for Ti. Ti as a filler must have been used to thicken the film, support its structure and simply increase the volume of the paint. The problem of metals knowing what could be a safe exposure and recognising a hazardous exposure has been noted. While we could not make these judgments, it would be wise to adopt a precautionary approach and reduce human exposure to essential metals in paints to a practicable minimum. The toxicity of these metals can cause potential health hazards.     </p> <p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong><strong>  </strong><em>Essential Metals; Fillers; Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry; Paint </em><em>Manufacturers</em></p>}, number={2}, journal={Fountain Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences}, author={APANPA-QASIM, A. F. I.}, year={2021}, month={Dec.} }