Monitoring of Heavy Metals and Pesticide Residues of Herbal Decoctions in Traditional Korean Medicine Clinics in Korea

Hye In Jeong, Ji-Eun Han, Byung-Cheul Shin, Soo Bin Jang, Jae-Hee Won, Kyeong Han Kim and Soo-Hyun Sung
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Hye In Jeong: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
Ji-Eun Han: Department of Policy Development, National Institute of Korean Medicine Development, Seoul 04554, Korea
Byung-Cheul Shin: Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea
Soo Bin Jang: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan 38609, Korea
Jae-Hee Won: Department of Public Infrastructure Operation, National Institute of Korean Medicine Development, Seoul 04554, Korea
Kyeong Han Kim: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Woosuk University, Jeonju 54986, Korea
Soo-Hyun Sung: Department of Policy Development, National Institute of Korean Medicine Development, Seoul 04554, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-10

Abstract: In this study, we investigated whether the levels of heavy metal and pesticide residues in herbal decoctions in Korea in 2019 were within normal limits. In total, 30 decoctions composed of multi-ingredient traditional herbs were sampled from traditional Korean medicine (TKM) clinics, TKM hospitals, and external herbal dispensaries in 2019. The decoctions were analyzed for heavy metal content such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. For mercury, an automatic mercury analyzer based on the gold amalgamation process was used. For pesticide residues, gas chromatography with electron capture detection and gas chromatography with mass selective detection were used for the analyses. Based on the testing, heavy metals were identified in most of the decoctions (Cd: 0.000–0.003 ppm, Pb: 0.003–0.023 ppm, As: 0.000−0.016 ppm, Hg: 0.000–0.002 ppm). Pesticide residues (e.g., total DDT, total BHC, aldrin, endrin, dieldrin) were not detected at all. All of these were no more than the limit values in preceding studies. Therefore, this study confirms that the contents of heavy metals and pesticides in herbal decoctions are within safe levels based on a previous study and provides evidence for establishing safety management standards for herbal decoctions in Korea.

Keywords: herbal decoction; quality control; safety management standard; heavy metals; pesticides (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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