title: Public health risks from heavy metals and metalloids present in traditional Chinese medicines.
abstract: Out of 247 traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) investigated, a proportion were contaminated with arsenic (5-15%), lead (approximately 5%), and mercury (approximately 65%). Some preparations exceeded the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for males and females for arsenic (4 and 5 products, respectively), lead (1 and 2 products), and mercury (5 and 7 products). These exceedances were as high as 2760-fold, which posed a potential danger to public health. As many users are known to self-prescribe, there is a substantial risk of poisoning from the consumption of these contaminated TCM.
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, University of Queensland, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Kelli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Noller
authors.forename: Des
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Jimmy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sadler
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olszowy
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: Ujang
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tinggi
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D002648:Child; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008628:Mercury / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D015233:Models, Statistical; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic