Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metal Chromium in Medicinal and Edible Chinese Medicinal Materials
药食同源药材中重金属铬的污染状况评价

This study was aimed to assess the contamination of chromium in medicinal and edible Chinese medicinal materials. Microwave digestion and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) were applied to the determination of chromium in 102 medicinal and edible Chinese medicinal materials. The ratio of daily intake of chromium in Chinese medicinal materials to tolerance limits of standards or guidelines accepted worldwide were calculated. The results showed that daily intake of chromium in Chinese medicinal materials were 975.0%, 108.3%, 78.0% of tolerance limits recommended by the US and Canada standards, US EPA and WHO guidelines, respectively. It was concluded that serious chromium pollution was found out in 102 medicinals and edible Chinese medicinal materials on the basis of statistical analysis, which indicates potential health risk to chromium for consumers.