Determination of heavy metals and essential elements in nasal sprays and drops (Saline/Sea Water) and evaluation in terms of toxicity

Heavy metals are toxic to human health and their concentrations in drinking water are sometimes above the limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition to drinking water, a possible source for the intake of heavy metals is nasal sprays, which are frequently used to combat upper respiratory tract infections, especially in young children. Different types of nasal sprays are sold in pharmacies, such as saline solutions prepared from NaCl, sea water, or ocean water. In this work, Al, Sb, As, B, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Si, and Zn analyzes were performed on 22 saline samples with ICP-MS to determine their toxicity levels. For some samples, the toxic element concentrations were above the drinking water limits. Because nasal sprays are administered to the region close to the brain, the potential risk should be considered more fully. The accuracy of the results was tested by the standard addition method and certified reference material (CRM) analysis, which obtained recovery values for the elements of 83%-115% and 82%-108% for standard addition and CRM analysis, respectively. This is the first study to consider the risk of heavy metals in nasal sprays. Graphical Abstract