How adulterated fairness creams led to a surge of mercury poisoning cases in rural Maharashtra

In January, Rushikesh Dhore visited a doctor in Maharashtra’s Akola district with a range of problems – insomnia, irritability, twitching and pain in his leg muscles.

But most striking for the 25-year-old was a feeling of “tremors” running through his legs.

The doctor was perplexed and advised Dhore, a resident of Goregaon village in Murtijapur, to visit a neurologist in Akola city, 50 km away.

Neurologist Dr Nitin Virwani immediately knew what the problem was. He had treated similar patients a few weeks before Dhore showed up.

As he had suspected, Dhore had recently started using a skin brightening cream he bought from a store in his village. “Within days of using the cream, I couldn’t sleep at night. Because I was awake all night, I became irritable. Then a burning sensation began in my legs,” he said.

Like him, a 30-year-old woman in Akola had started using a fairness cream on a friend’s recommendation in April. In the initial days, she felt her skin “considerably brighten and blemishes lighten”. “I even told a few other friends to use it. It is easily available in grocery stores,” she said, requesting anonymity.

In a few weeks, however, her face became dry and itchy. Then, a constant tingling sensation began in her feet.

When Virwani asked...

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