Radiological assessment of pharmaceutical clays

Abstract

The suitability for pharmaceutical and cosmetic application of fourteen clay samples, eight raw and six commercialized samples, from Minas Gerais and São Paulo states, Brazil, were evaluated and their mineralogy, chemical and radiological composition were determined. Results indicated that the samples are composed mainly of quartz, kaolinite and feldspar, enriched in Al2O3 and TiO2, Cd, Cs, Sb, Se, Th, and U and depleted in SiO2, MgO, P2O5, and Ca. Concentrations found are unlikely to present any harm in topical applications, and all the radiological parameters were below the global average or the established limits.