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]. Cosmet. Sci.J 57, 107-125 (March/April 2006) Availability and chemical composition of traditional eye cosmetics ("kohls") used in the United Arab Emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm AI-Quwain, Ras AI-Khaimah, and Fujairah ANDREW D. HARDY, Centre for Medical History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, Devon, UK RICHARD I. WALTON and KATHRYN A. MYERS, Department of Chemistry, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, Devon, UK and RAGIN! VAISHNAV, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Sultanate of Oman. Accepted for publication December 16, 2005. Synopsis This study was undertaken in order to determine the availability and chemical composition of potentially lead-toxic traditional eye cosmetics ("kohls") in six of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Thus of especial interest was the percentage of the purchased samples that contained the toxic element lead. A total of 53 observably different kohl samples were found to be available overall in the six emirates: Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Fujairah. It was found that 19 of these samples had been previously analyzed by us in studies covering Oman, Abu Dhabi (city), and Egypt (Cairo). The techniques of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the remaining 34 samples. Overall, for the 53 kohl samples, it was found that 20 (38%) contained a lead compound (galena, PbS) as the main component. The other main components were found to be one of the following: amorphous carbon, calcite/aragonite (CaCO,,), goethite (FeO(OH)), hematite (Fe2O3 ), sassolite (H 3 BO 3 ), talc (Mg 3 Si4O10(OH)2 ), or zincite (ZnO). INTRODUCTION As part of our continuing study of Middle Eastern traditional eye cosmetics ("kohls") we have now looked at the availability and chemical composition of such cosmetics in six of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with especial reference to determining those containing a lead compound. We have already published a study on the kohls of Abu Dhabi city (1). Thus the six remaining emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK), and Fujairah are covered here. For useful background information on eye cosmetics in general, and on Middle Eastern kohls 107