title: Toxic metal content in 52 frequently prescribed herbal medicines on the Korean market.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the toxic metal content (Pb, As, Cd and Hg) of 52 frequently prescribed herbal medicines and to identify herbal medicines that exceed the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) maximum limits. A total of 3534 samples, including 1966 domestic samples and 1568 imported samples, were analysed using an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Total amounts of Pb, As, Cd and Hg were significantly different between domestic (0.63 mg kg(-1)) and imported (0.81 mg kg(-1)) medicines (p < 0.05). Among the 52 kinds of samples, 4 kinds of herbs required quality control for Pb and 12 kinds of herbs required quality control for Cd. No sample contained As and Hg above the limits.
authors.affiliation: a Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment , Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do , Korea.
authors.forename: Donggyu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Mokyoung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung-Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kweon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Seung-Kook
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D053000:Analytic Sample Preparation Methods; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D002138:Calibration; D004340:Drug Contamination; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D008872:Microwaves; D010602:Pharmacopoeias as Topic; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D028321:Plant Preparations; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: ICP-MS; herbal medicines; statistical quality control; toxic metals