Hyderabad: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) defers ban on polyacrylamide

Hyderabad: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is sitting pretty on the review of a potentially dangerous ingredient currently used in beauty products, allege Hyderabad scientists. 

Polyacrylamide is a harmful chemical and has proven carcinogenic features. It is used in many beauty products. The Forum against Corruption in Science, an association of Hyderabad based scientists had lodged a complaint against the usage of this chemical in beauty products with the Bureau of Indian Standards. The issue was proposed as part of the agenda of the Cosmetics Sectional Committee meeting of the BIS in the first quarter of 2017. In a reply to Mr G.V. Rao of Forum against Corruption in Science, the BIS had stated, “The proposal of amendment of rules to suspend the use of Polyarcylamide will be put as one of the agenda points in the next meeting of Cosmetics Sectional committee, planned in early 2017.”

But though the first quarter meeting took place as scheduled in March 2017, the issue was not considered.  When the Forum against Corruption in Science recorded their protest, the BIS officially stated, “The complaint of Mr V. Rao was not on the agenda of the last meeting of the Cosmetics Sectional Committee that took place on March 7, 2017. The content of the complaint has been circulated to the technical committee members for their comments and inputs. The content of the complaint will be discussed by the committee after the comments and inputs have been received from the technical committee members.”

Meanwhile, Mr G. V.  Rao has alleged, “Polyacrylamide can be absorbed by the skin and break down into acrylamide causing histopathological and physiological changes in various organs of animals leading to cancer. 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has designated Acrylamide as a probable human carcinogen based on the bioassay data and evidence for a DNA reactive mechanism.” He added he had filed the complaints with BIS asking them to amend the necessary rules that would ban polyacrylamide in cosmetics companies from using Polyacrylamide as an ingredient.