title: Determination of methanol concentrations in traditional herbal waters of different brands in iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Herbal waters are extensively used in most parts of including . Visiting a patient with total blindness due to daily ingestion of around 200 ml of herbal water (Plant forty water) per day for six months was the rational for methanol determination in all herbal waters available in markets.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of two hundred and nineteen bottles of herbal waters were randomly bought from market. Methanol concentration was determined by gas chromatography, using a Flame Ionized Detector. Benzene (1000 mg/l) was applied as the internal standard. Collected data was analyzed by SPSS software (version 11.5), using appropriate descriptive statistical tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty six different herbal waters from three main producing factories (A, B and C) were tested. Highest methanol concentration was measured in dill water of A (1208±202.74 mg/l), concentrated rose water of A (1017.41±59.68 mg/l) and concentrated rose water of B (978.52±92.81 mg/l). Lowest methanol concentration was determined in Trachyspermum copticum water of B (18.93±1.04 mg/l), cinnamon and ginger water of B (29.64±10.88 mg/l) and rice skin water of A (41.33±7.85 mg/l). Mean methanol concentrations of herbal waters including ginger, cinnamon, dill, peppermint, alfalfa, and plant forty from A, B and C were 374.69, 209.81 and 280.12 mg/l, respectively (P< 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methanol concentration in all herbal waters, especially rose water of the three producers was very high that may induce toxicity in people taking these products regularly for a long time.
authors.affiliation: Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Reza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.forename: Mohssen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Namaei-Ghassemi
authors.forename: Massomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Layegh
authors.forename: Monavar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afzalaghaee
authors.forename: Manssoreh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vafaee
authors.forename: Gholamali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.forename: Toktam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moghiman
authors.forename: Mahdi Balali
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mood
keywords: Concentration; Gas Chromatography; Herbal Water; Methanol