title: Monitoring heavy metals, residual agricultural chemicals and sulfites in traditional herbal decoctions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asian traditional herbal preparations are frequently considered for the contamination with undeclared toxic or hazardous substances. The aim of this study was to determine the toxic heavy metals, pesticides and sulfur dioxide in decoctions that is a common form of final utilization in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 155 decoctions composed of multi-ingredient traditional herbs were randomly sampled from Seoul in Korea between 2013 and 2014. For each decoction, the concentrations of four heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury), 33 pesticides and sulfur dioxide were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), mercury analyzer, gas chromatography/nitrogen phosphorous detector (GC/NPD), gas chromatography/micro electron capture detector (GC/μECD), and Monier-Williams method respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred fifty-two of One hundred fifty-five decoctions (98.1%) contained one of three heavy metals (96.1% for As, 97.4% for Cd, and 90.3% for Pb, 0.0% for Hg). Their average concentrations (77.0 ± 79.7 ug/kg for As, 20.4 ± 23.7 ug/kg for Cd, and 68.8 ± 76.5 ug/kg for Pb) were approximately 20% of the maximum allowable limits of vegetable or ginseng beverage described in the Korean Food Standard Codex while their 95th percentile concentrations were below than the guideline for them. None of 33 pesticides was detected in 155 decoction samples, and only one sample showed over limit of detection for residual sulfites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study support that the contained status of toxic heavy metals, pesticides and sulfur dioxide in herbal decoctions are currently within safe level in Korea, and provide a reference data for the further studies focused on the safety herbal preparations.
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea. yis9729@seoul.go.kr.
authors.forename: In-Sil
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Dan
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hoe-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jib-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Mi
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Kangbuk Agro-Fishery Products Inspection Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, # 5 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-864, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kweon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Seoul Korean Medical Association, # 420 Kosanja-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-817, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, # 176-9 Daeheung-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 302-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Joung
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, # 176-9 Daeheung-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 302-724, Republic of Korea. ckson@dju.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chang-Gue
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6963-5229
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D016573:Agrochemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D004340:Drug Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013447:Sulfites / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D016573:Agrochemicals; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013447:Sulfites
keywords: Contamination; Heavy metals; Herbal decoction; Pesticides; Quality control; Sulfur dioxide