QUEZON CITY — Malaysian and Filipino civil society groups advocating for consumer and environmental health deplored the online sale of a traditional Chinese skin patch to relieve swelling and pain that has been analyzed to contain elevated levels of heavy metals such as lead and mercury.
In a joint press release, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and the EcoWaste Coalition slammed the unabated sale of Chang-Sze-Long Badu Gao even after the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) of the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Malaysia cancelled its registration for containing mercury levels in excess of the “permitted limit.”
“This product has been recalled from the market and the registration of the product has been cancelled by the Drug Control Authority and is no longer permitted for sale or distribution in Malaysia,” the NPRA announced through a press release last August 12, 2025.
“Sellers and distributors of this product are required to stop selling and distributing it immediately,” the NPRA said, warning erring individuals and companies of hefty fines and penalties under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.
“Consumers should exercise caution when purchasing health products, whether online or in stores,” said Mohideen Abdul Kader, president of CAP. “Consumers should be wary, as some of these health products could contain potent ingredients that can pose harm to health. In the past, we had also come across counterfeit and substandard products sold online, not only in the country but in the Southeast Asia region. Consumers and online platforms should make it a point to verify the product registration and ensure they are not delisted.”
“Despite being banned, we managed to buy Chang-Sze-Long Badu Gao from an online seller based in Malaysia through Shopee Philippines,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “This underscores the need to strengthen surveillance and enforcement measures, as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation, to stop the use of e-commerce sites to sell dangerous products such as those contaminated with hazardous chemicals.”
Curious to find out how much mercury it contains, the group screened the skin patch using an Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analytical device, which detected elevated levels of not only mercury but also lead measured at 486 parts per million (ppm) and over 100,000 ppm, respectively.
Mercury and lead are among the 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Exposure to mercury – event in small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is a threat to the development of the child in utero and early in life,” the WHO said, warning “mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.”
According to the WHO, “exposure to lead can affect multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children and women of childbearing age,” stressing that “there is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.”
“Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer permanent adverse health impacts, particularly to the development of the central nervous system,” the WHO said.
“Lead causes long-term harm in adults, including increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, and kidney damage,” the WHO further said, adding “lead exposure during pregnancy can cause reduced fetal growth and preterm birth.”
To protect consumers from being exposed to mercury and lead, CAP and the EcoWaste Coalition urged the management of online shopping sites to take down product listings for the banned Chang-Sze-Long Badu Gao and for government regulators to go after the non-compliant distributors and sellers.
Both CAP and EcoWaste Coalition are participating organizations of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of public interest groups raising public awareness and advocating for improved chemical policies to ensure that hazardous substances are no longer produced, used, or disposed of in ways that harm human health and the environment.
