CONSUMER TALCUMS AND POWDERS - MINERAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Representative consumer talcums and powders, including 20 body powders, baby powders, facial talcums and 1 pharmaceutical talc, were analyzed to determine their mineralogical and chemical composition. Where known, all were formulated prior to 1973. Of the 20 products, 10 contained detectable amounts of tremolite and anthophyllite, principally asbestiform, while some contained fragmented forms of these minerals. The amounts ranged from tenths of a percent to over 14% by weight; 2 contained detectable amounts of chrysotile asbestos fiber. Eight contained quartz, 7 ranging from 2-5%, with 1 as high as 35%. The analyses showed that the consumer products examined were rarely the pure mineral talc, but rather were mixtures of various minerals; some samples consisted of 3-5 minerals, only 1 of which was talc. Other common mineral phases included chlorite, platy serpentine, pyrophyllite, mica and carbonate minerals. Kaolin additive was identified in 2 products. The single pharmaceutical talc examined contained only a trace amount of quartz. The chemical composition of these products, including major oxide and trace element content, correlated with their mineral components. Four samples contained substantial concentrations of Ni, Co and Cr, suggesting lattice substitution or the presence of trace mineral phases. Geological provenance of the talcs may be ascertained on the basis of chemistry. Possible adverse health effects from intermittent use of these products, especially those that contain asbestiform and fragmented anthophyllite and tremolite, chrysotile, quartz and trace metals, are presently unknown and warrant evaluation.