Herbal botanicals
Completeness scorecard
Deterministic gap audit — no score is composite, no cell is LLM-judged. Each chip is re-derivable by re-running tools/evidence/build-ingredient-scorecard.mjs. review: residuals and missing data are worked autonomously via data/evidence/ingredient-scorecard-review-flags.csv and wiki/completeness-gaps.md.
| Dimension | Status | What’s there (auditable counts) | What’s missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Analyte coverage (tier: unset) | tier-unset | 6/10 HMTc analytes, total n=74 | consumption tier unset; depth bar uncheckable |
| D2 Regional coverage | OK | 48 jurisdictions, top CN 23% | — |
| D3 Anthropogenic evidence | GAP | 8 soil + 1 agricultural-soil; no supply-chain link | link a supply-chain/ hub page |
| D4 Background mechanism | GAP | section present, 0 drivers, 9 upstream source(s) | drivers[] empty |
| D5 Pooling depth | POOLABLE | Pb CONFIDENT, Cd CONFIDENT, tHg POOLABLE, Ni POOLABLE, Al POOLABLE, Cr POOLABLE, tAs CONFIDENT | — |
| D6 Speciation | OK | iAs, tHg, tAs declared | — |
| D7 Basis declaration | GAP | 0/10 populated cells declare a basis token | 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, Sn, tAs, U |
| D8 Provenance integrity | GAP | 4 claims checked, 4 supported; 20 citations, 0 orphan, 1 foreign | 1 foreign citation(s) not naming herbal-botanicals: knoll2024-honeybee-cadmium-review |
| D9 Mitigation | OK | 5 cited lever(s), 6 mitigation/ link(s) | — |
| D10 Regulatory coverage | OK | 2 rule link(s), 0 metal(s) covered | unmapped analytes: Pb, Cd, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, tAs |
| D11 Standards-readiness | PARTIAL | priority: Pb, Cd, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, tAs; pairing 0 paired, 7 single, 0 unpaired | basis: 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, Sn, tAs, U; consumption tier unset (depth bar uncheckable) |
| Principle balance | flag | consumer-protection 0.75, contamination-reduction 1.00, brand-value 0.00, legal-defensibility 0.50, scale 0.75 | spread 1.00 — starved: brand-value |
This is a structural ingredient node created so product pages can link to a real wiki target. Occurrence values remain pending until a source is promoted for this ingredient.
Heavy metal contamination profile
Per-analyte snapshot derived from the machine-readable contamination_profile in the frontmatter above. data gap indicates the literature has been reviewed for this commodity-analyte combination and no usable occurrence data was found (a finding, not a placeholder). The Key sources column shows the top 2-3 contributing sources by year and sample size, with numbered wikilink aliases.
| Analyte | Coverage | Typical (ppb) | p95 (ppb) | Confidence | Key sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | n=19 | 50–2000 | 3583 | high | 1, 2, 3 |
| Cd | n=17 | 20–450 | 985 | high | 1, 2, 3 |
| iAs | data gap | — | — | — | — |
| tAs | n=14 | 50–1000 | 14012 | high | 1, 2, 3 |
| tHg | n=10 | 3–33 | 107 | medium | 1, 2, 3 |
| Ni | n=4 | 8000–200000 | — | medium | 1, 2, 3 |
| Al | n=3 | 245–500 | — | medium | 1, 2, 3 |
| Cr | n=7 | 337–1686 | 7886 | medium | 1, 2, 3 |
| Sn | data gap | — | — | — | — |
| U | data gap | — | — | — | — |
Routing
This node is linked from herbal-botanical-infusions.
Contamination Profile State
The machine-readable contamination profile is pending. Ingredient-level values belong here once parsed; finished-product values belong on the relevant product-category page.
Sources
Auto-generated from source-page frontmatter. The “Used on this page for” column is populated by the orchestrator’s POPULATE-SOURCE-LEGEND action; pending entries appear as *[awaiting synthesis]*.
| # | Citation | Year | Type | Used on this page for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porwollik et al. 2026. The quality and safety of Rhodiola rosea supplements on the U.S. market: An analysis of biomarkers, heavy metals, and pesticide residues, PLoS One | 2026 | Peer-reviewed | ICP-MS survey of Pb, Cd, tAs, and tHg in 10 U.S.-market Rhodiola rosea supplement products (7 capsular, 3 tinctures); all capsular products had detectable As, Co, and Pb |
| 2 | SMPP et al. 2025. Formulation of Standardized Herbal Tea from Whole Flowers, Stamens and Immature Fruits of Bael (Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa), World Journal of Agricultural Research | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | LK Al, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, tAs, Cd, tHg, Ba occurrence in Prepared herbal teas from dried whole flowers, stamens, and immature fruits of bael (Aegle marmelos) sourced in Sri… (n=3) |
| 3 | CFIA 2025. Toxic metals in selected foods – April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023: Food chemistry – Targeted surveys – Final report, Canadian Food Inspection Agency | 2025 | Government report | Canadian multi-commodity targeted survey (n=470) including spices for tAs, Cd, Pb, and tHg; spice category includes dried botanicals relevant to herbal formulations |
| 4 | Melania et al. 2025. Analysis of risk elements in herbal tea samples, Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | SK Cu, Pb, Ni, tAs occurrence in Six herbal tea materials from Slovakia prepared under three acid-extraction methods (n=18) |
| 5 | Gao et al. 2025. Wild Cordyceps sinensis exhibits far lower arsenic accumulation and hepatorenal toxicity in mice compared to equivalent dose of inorganic arsenic, Frontiers in Pharmacology | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs, iAs occurrence in Eighteen CD-1 mice assigned to control, wild Cordyceps sinensis, and inorganic arsenic groups. (n=18) |
| 6 | Rylander et al. 2025. Blood lead levels in children aged 5–7 years in the Republic of Georgia, Environmental Health Perspectives | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | GE Pb occurrence in Children aged 5–7 years participating in surveillance study in the Republic of Georgia (VAMS-based blood collection); 1,635 children… (n=1635) |
| 7 | Adhikari et al. 2024. Concentrations and health risks of selected elements in leafy vegetables: a comparison between roadside open-air markets and large stores in Johannesburg, South Africa | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | ZA Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn occurrence in Composite leafy vegetable samples from roadside open-air markets (unwashed and washed) and large stores (supermarkets, vegetable markets), Johannesburg,… (n=20) |
| 8 | Cantoral et al. 2024. Lead Levels in the Most Consumed Mexican Foods: First Monitoring Effort, Toxics | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | Pb survey across 103 Mexican market foods by GF-AAS; spices (black pepper, turmeric) among the highest-Pb items detected, supporting routing of spice-botanicals to this page |
| 9 | Codex 2024. Report of the 17th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (REP24/CF17), Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission | 2024 | Government report | Codex CCCF17 session proceedings; routed here as regulatory context for herbal-botanical contaminant governance under the Codex CXS 193-1995 framework |
| 10 | FDA 2024. FDA Import Alert 99-42: Detention Without Physical Examination of Spices Due to Lead Contamination, FDA Import Alerts | 2024 | Regulatory | US Pb occurrence in Import shipments of spices at US ports of entry |
| 11 | Hajmoradi et al. 2024. Accumulation of Heavy Metals and Their Genotoxic Potential in Medicinal Plant Verbacsum speciosum Schrad., Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research 12(2): 65-72 | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | IR Pb, Zn occurrence in Verbascum speciosum (Common Mullein, Iranian Gole Mahur) plus paired surface soils sampled at five mining-impacted localities (a-e, 0-12… (n=18) |
| 12 | Hu et al. 2024. An electrochemiluminescence device for visualized detection of lead in practical samples, RSC Advances | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | ECL aptamer-sensor method development paper validated on Lycium ruthenicum and Glycyrrhiza uralensis extracts; contributes analytical-method context for Pb detection in herbal botanicals rather than occurrence data |
| 13 | Maciej et al. 2024. Assessment of heavy metal contamination and associated health risk indices in commercial herbal tea samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, International Journal of Advanced Chemistry Research | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | PL Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr occurrence in Commercial herbal tea samples purchased from Polish retail markets (n=48) |
| 14 | Moussa et al. 2024. Impact of source, packaging and presence of food safety management system on heavy metals levels in spices and herbs, PLoS ONE | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | LB Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg occurrence in 96 composite samples (from 480 individual samples) of 13 dried herbs and spices collected from Lebanese markets in… (n=96) |
| 15 | Napier et al. 2024. Childhood Lead Exposure Linked to Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches — North Carolina, June 2023–January 2024, MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report | 2024 | Government report | CDC MMWR outbreak report linking pediatric Pb poisoning to cinnamon adulterated with lead chromate (Ecuador); cinnamon is a spice-botanical, grounding the high-Pb-risk signal for adulterated spice ingredients |
| 16 | Osei-Safo et al. 2024. Trace and Heavy Metals in Locally and Imported Spices Sold on Markets in Accra Metropolis, Ghana, The Scientific World Journal | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | GH/IN/CN tAs, Pb, Cd occurrence in 90 spice samples (10 spice types × 3 markets × 3 sellers per market) purchased from Madina, Kaneshie,… (n=90) |
| 17 | Rossini-Oliva et al. 2024. Is it healthy urban agriculture? Human exposure to potentially toxic elements in urban gardens from Andalusia, Spain, Environmental Science and Pollution Research | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | ES As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Ba, B, Mo, Zn occurrence in Edible vegetables and topsoils from urban gardens in Seville, Cordoba, Huelva, and Riotinto mining area, Andalusia, Spain; 2021–2023 (n=282) |
| 18 | Thomas et al. 2024. Case of lead poisoning secondary to intake of herbal medicine for diabetes mellitus in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | IN Pb occurrence in Single clinical case: 58-year-old female with lead poisoning from Ayurvedic herbal diabetes capsules, Jubilee Mission Medical College, Kerala,… (n=1) |
| 19 | Troeschel et al. 2024. Investigation of Lead and Chromium Exposure After Consumption of Contaminated Cinnamon-Containing Applesauce — United States, November 2023–April 2024, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) | 2024 | Government report | US Pb, Cr occurrence in Cases of lead poisoning (BLL ≥3.5 µg/dL) reported to CDC following consumption of recalled WanaBana/Schnucks/Weis cinnamon-containing applesauce pouches,… (n=566) |
| 20 | Yang 2024. LIBS detection of cadmium in Panax notoginseng, unknown | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | LIBS method-development paper for rapid Cd detection in Panax notoginseng (tienchi ginseng); contributes analytical-method context for Cd in TCM botanical herbs rather than occurrence data |
| 21 | Al-Khayri et al. 2023. Cadmium stress in plants: A critical review of the effects, mechanisms, and tolerance strategies, Frontiers in Plant Science | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | Cd occurrence in Review covering Cd concentrations across diverse plant species including medicinal herbs; cites survey data showing 14–16% of peppermint… |
| 22 | Inada 2023. Comparison of heavy metal regulations for herbal medicines across pharmacopoeias, Journal of Natural Medicines | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | JP/EU/US Pb, Cd, Hg, As occurrence in Regulatory limit compilation across 9 pharmacopoeias (Japanese, European, USP, Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Indian, British, WHO) |
| 23 | Salmani et al. 2023. Comparison of Essential and Toxic Metals Levels in some Herbal Teas: a Systematic Review, Biological Trace Element Research | 2023 | Review | Systematic review of 49 studies on Pb, Cd, tAs, Al, Cr, and Ni in herbal teas (chamomile, thyme, rosemary, black tea, green tea); chamomile Cd notably elevated at mean 23 µg/g across included studies |
| 24 | Zakrzewska et al. 2023. Reduction of bioavailability and phytotoxicity effect of cadmium in soil by microbial-induced carbonate precipitation using metabolites of ureolytic bacterium Ochrobactrum sp. POC9, Frontiers in Plant Science | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | PL/EU Cd occurrence in Pot experiments with Petroselinum crispum (root parsley) grown in Cd-contaminated agricultural soil supplemented with metabolites containing carbonates (MCC)… |
| 25 | Bai et al. 2022. Investigation Into Environmental Selenium and Arsenic Levels and Arseniasis Prevalence in an Arsenic-Affected Coal-Burning Area, Frontiers in Nutrition | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs occurrence in 100 arseniasis patients and 50 healthy controls in coal-burning area of Shaanxi Province, China (n=150) |
| 26 | Jurowski et al. 2022. Chromium impurities in peppermint tinctures from Polish pharmacies: speciation and health implications, unknown | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | PL Cr occurrence in Peppermint tinctures from Polish pharmacies |
| 27 | Nelson et al. 2022. Determination of Heavy Metals in a Variety of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, First Action 2021.03, Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | US/CA tAs, Cd, tHg, Pb occurrence in Four cannabis/cannabis-derived validation matrices with native As, Cd, Hg, and Pb values in Table 5: flower (inhaled), hemp… (n=4) |
| 28 | Njinga et al. 2022. Major chemical carcinogens and health exposure risks in some therapeutic herbal plants in Nigeria, PLOS ONE | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | NG Cd, Cr occurrence in Dried plant material of Adansonia digitata (baobab), Psidium guajava (guava), and Carica papaya (papaya) collected from Northern Nigeria… (n=3) |
| 29 | Sitek et al. 2022. The role of antioxidant vitamins in cadmium toxicity prevention, Nutrients | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | EU/WHO/global Cd occurrence in Review of human and animal studies on dietary Cd exposure and antioxidant vitamin interactions |
| 30 | Altmaier 2021. The Big Four Heavy Metals in Cannabis: Sample Preparation and Analysis via ICP-MS, Cannabis Science and Technology | 2021 | Trade publication | DE/EU tAs, Cd, tHg, Pb, Cr, Ni occurrence in Three industrial-hemp flower varieties purchased from a German drugstore (Finola, Felina, Santhica; 25 g dried-bud batches), prepared by… (n=3) |
| 31 | Cheyns et al. 2021. Intake of food supplements based on algae or cyanobacteria may pose a health risk due to elevated concentrations of arsenic species, Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | BE tAs, iAs occurrence in Thirty-three food supplements containing algae and/or cyanobacteria purchased from local stores and online stores in Belgium during 2013-2016;… (n=33) |
| 32 | Ciocan et al. 2021. Lead poisoning from Ayurvedic treatment: a further case, La Medicina del Lavoro | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | IT/IN Pb, tHg, tAs occurrence in Single case: 30-year-old Indian sailor treated in Italy; ICP-MS analysis of 4 Ayurvedic drug product samples (products 1,… |
| 33 | Viviers et al. 2021. An assessment of heavy metal contaminants related to cannabis-based products in the South African market, Forensic Science International: Reports | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | ZA Cd, Pb, tAs, tHg, Co, V, Ni, Tl, Au, Pd, Ir, Os, Rh, Ru, Se, Ag, Pt occurrence in Three hundred ten cannabis-based products submitted to a South African contract laboratory, grouped as edible, extract, infusion, liquid,… (n=310) |
| 34 | Wang et al. 2021. AGNH Protects Against Cinnabar and Realgar-Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Mice via Attenuation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis, Frontiers in Pharmacology | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | CN tHg, tAs, iAs occurrence in Mice (ICR strain) administered cinnabar (HgS) and realgar (As4S4) orally as part of traditional Chinese medicine formulation safety… |
| 35 | Zafeiraki et al. 2021. Macro and Trace Elements in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivated in Greece: Risk Assessment of Toxic Elements, Frontiers in Chemistry | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | GR/EU Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni, Al, Sn occurrence in 90 Cannabis sativa L. leaf/flower samples from 9 varieties cultivated across 13 regions in Greece, collected 2018-2019; 21… (n=90) |
| 36 | Ibrahim 2020. Determination of trace element levels in flowers and leaves of vicia faba by ICP-MS, Progress in Chemical and Biochemical Research | 2020 | Peer-reviewed | TR Cr, Fe, Zn, Al, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, Ni occurrence in Dried Vicia faba flowers and leaves analyzed as medicinal plant material in Turkey |
| 37 | Falandysz et al. 2020. Mercury in traditionally foraged species of fungi (macromycetes) from the karst area across Yunnan province in China, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology | 2020 | Peer-reviewed | CN tHg occurrence in Composite samples from 42 traditionally foraged or medicinal fungal species collected at 23 sites across Yunnan province, China,… |
| 38 | Ćaćić et al. 2019. Evaluation of heavy metals accumulation potential of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), Journal of Central European Agriculture | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | HR/EU Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cr, tHg, Co, Mo, tAs occurrence in Pot experiment with four EU-catalogue hemp varieties (Fedora 17, Fibrol, Futura 75, Santhica 27) grown in alkaline Gleysol… (n=24) |
| 39 | Erzsebet et al. 2019. Aluminium contamination of several types of tea, Orvostudomanyi Ertesito | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | RO Al occurrence in Green, black, fruit, and herbal tea infusions prepared from sampled tea materials (n=48) |
| 40 | Janvier et al. 2019. Nutritional value assessment of umufumba: A Rwandan wild edible plant Mondia whytei (Hook. F), Food Science & Nutrition | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | RW Pb, Cd, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn occurrence in Mondia whytei root bark samples collected from Rwandan localities, analyzed in triplicate by locality and age (n=18) |
| 41 | Oliveira et al. 2018. Metal concentrations in traditional and herbal teas and their potential risks to human health, Science of the Total Environment | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | US Al, tAs, Cd, Cr, Pb occurrence in Forty-seven tea products collected in the US market, covering 16 herbal teas, 16 black teas, 11 green teas,… (n=47) |
| 42 | Liu et al. 2018. Speciation and bioaccessibility of arsenic in traditional Chinese medicines and assessment of its potential health risk, Science of the Total Environment | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs, iAs occurrence in Twenty-four Chinese patent medicines and sixty Chinese herbal medicines purchased from a Beijing drugstore. The patent medicines included… (n=84) |
| 43 | Bolan et al. 2017. Comparative analysis of speciation and bioaccessibility of arsenic in rice grains and complementary medicines, Chemosphere | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | AU/BD/IN tAs, iAs occurrence in Six rice-grain samples from research grain collections in Bangladesh, India, and Korea, grown under greenhouse or field conditions… (n=22) |
| 44 | Kočevar et al. 2017. Accumulation of heavy metals from soil in medicinal plants, Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | SI/EU Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn occurrence in Above-ground parts of four medicinal plant species collected at eight Meža Valley locations in Slovenia, with paired topsoil… (n=32) |
| 45 | Mirosławski et al. 2017. Determination of the Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, and Lead Ions Relays in Selected Polish Medicinal Plants and Their Infusion, Biological Trace Element Research | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | PL Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb occurrence in Five peppermint-leaf preparations and five chamomile-blossom preparations from Polish pharmacy retail, with three package-level samples per producer; all… (n=10) |
| 46 | Santos et al. 2017. Arsenic, cadmium and lead concentrations in Yerba mate commercialized in Southern Brazil by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Ciencia Rural | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | BR tAs, Cd, Pb occurrence in Yerba mate samples marketed in Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (n=104) |
| 47 | Stahl et al. 2017. Migration of aluminum from food contact materials to food - a health risk for consumers? Part I of III: exposure to aluminum, release of aluminum, tolerable weekly intake (TWI), toxicological effects of aluminum, study design, and methods, Environmental Sciences Europe | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | DE/EU Al occurrence in Hessian State Laboratory aluminum results for 1,825 foodstuff samples across 30 product groups, plus Part I study-design context… (n=1825) |
| 48 | Mania et al. 2015. Toxic Elements in Commercial Infant Food, Estimated Dietary Intake, and Risk Assessment in Poland, Polish Journal of Environmental Studies | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | PL/EU Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg occurrence in Approximately 1,000 commercial infant-food samples collected from retail markets in all Polish provinces during the 2009-2013 sanitary-epidemiological monitoring… (n=1000) |
| 49 | Zerihun et al. 2015. Levels of selected metals in leaves of Cannabis sativa L. cultivated in Ethiopia, SpringerPlus | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | ET Ca, Zn, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr occurrence in Cannabis sativa L. leaves from four Ethiopian regions: Butajira, Metema, Sheshemene, and Mekelle. Three regional samples were collected… (n=4) |
| 50 | Cao et al. 2014. Pharmacokinetic properties of arsenic species after oral administration of Sargassum pallidum extract in rats using an HPLC-HG-AFS method, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis | 2014 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs, iAs occurrence in One dried Sargassum pallidum material collected from Yantai City, Shandong Province, China, identified by the corresponding author, deposited… (n=1) |
| 51 | Mansour 2014. Monitoring and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Food, Practical Food Safety: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions (Wiley-Blackwell) | 2014 | Book chapter | EG/CN/IN Pb, Cd, tHg, tAs, Cr, Ni, Sn, Al occurrence in Book chapter authored by Sameeh A. Mansour (Environmental Toxicology Research Unit, Pesticide Chemistry Department, National Research Centre, Cairo)… |
| 52 | Brizio et al. 2013. Heavy metals occurrence in Italian food supplements, E3S Web of Conferences | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | IT tAs, Cd, Cr, Pb, tHg occurrence in Twelve food supplements seized in a Piedmont shop by Italian food-adulteration authorities: six single-herbal samples and six mixed… (n=12) |
| 53 | Khan et al. 2013. Toxic and some essential metals in medicinal plants used in herbal medicines: A case study in Pakistan, African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | PK Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr occurrence in Eight medicinal plant species collected from two locations within a 20 km radius of Kallar Kahar Lake, Punjab,… (n=48) |
| 54 | Kulhari et al. 2013. Investigation of heavy metals in frequently utilized medicinal plants collected from environmentally diverse locations of north western India, SpringerPlus | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | IN Mn, Cr, Pb, Fe, Cd, Ni, Co, Zn, Hg occurrence in Stem and leaf samples from ten medicinal plant species collected from Haryana and Rajasthan, India, including Jhunjhunu, Churu,… (n=20) |
| 55 | Shah et al. 2013. Comparative Study of Heavy Metals in Soil and Selected Medicinal Plants, Journal of Chemistry | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | PK Fe, Ni, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb occurrence in Leaves, stems, and roots of four medicinal plant species collected from polluted and unpolluted sampling points in District… (n=24) |
| 56 | Barthwal et al. 2008. Heavy Metal Accumulation in Medicinal Plants Collected from Environmentally Different Sites, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences | 2008 | Peer-reviewed | IN Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni occurrence in Five medicinal plant species collected from three Lucknow, India site types (heavy traffic area, residential area, industrial area),… (n=15) |
| 57 | Khan et al. 2007. Effect of Environmental Pollution on Heavy Metals Content of Withania somnifera, Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society | 2007 | Peer-reviewed | PK Cr, Pb, Cu, Cd, Fe, Ni, Mn occurrence in Withania somnifera roots, stems, leaves, and fruits, plus paired soils, collected from three locations of N.W.F.P./Peshawar Valley, Pakistan;… |
| 58 | Divrikli et al. 2006. Trace heavy metal contents of some spices and herbal plants from western Anatolia, Turkey, International Journal of Food Science and Technology | 2006 | Peer-reviewed | TR Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Fe, Mn, Zn occurrence in Eleven spice and herbal plant species collected from 50 farmers in western Anatolia, Turkey, June-October 2003; four samples… (n=44) |
Why this commodity accumulates heavy metals
Herbal botanicals is the aggregate ingredient label for medicinal and culinary plant-based ingredients including herbs, spices, traditional medicine plants (Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, traditional African medicine), and herbal-supplement raw materials (rhodiola, ginseng, turmeric, ashwagandha, chamomile, peppermint, lycium, glycyrrhiza, panax notoginseng, and dozens more). Heavy-metal accumulation in herbal botanicals operates via three pathways: source-plant soil-uptake (leafy and root botanicals are documented Cd and Pb accumulators per Al-Khayri 2023 review of Cd-stress mechanisms in medicinal plants), traditional-medicine adulteration (Ayurvedic and TCM products have documented histories of intentional metal additions — Pb and Hg in some traditional preparations per Ciocan 2021 and Thomas 2024 Kerala diabetes-herbal case report), and contamination from processing infrastructure (dried herbal products from industrial-region processing facilities can carry elevated Pb from equipment-contact).
The most consequential recent contamination event was the WanaBana cinnamon-applesauce Pb poisoning outbreak documented by Napier 2024 and Troeschel 2024, where cinnamon adulterated with lead chromate from Ecuador caused pediatric Pb poisoning across the US, leading to the FDA Import Alert 99-42 (FDA 2024) for spice Pb-contamination detention. The HMTc panel concerns for herbal botanicals are dominantly Pb (with documented adulteration risk and naturally elevated leafy-botanical levels), Cd (per the systematic herbal-tea review by Salmani 2023 documenting chamomile Cd at 23 µg/g mean), Cr (per Jurowski 2022 Polish peppermint tincture survey), and total As. The Rhodiola supplement survey by Porwollik 2026 documents detectable Pb, As, and Co across all capsular US-market Rhodiola products.
Ranges by source, region, and variety
Variance within herbal botanicals tracks botanical type (root vs leaf vs stem vs flower vs seed — each with different per-tissue accumulation patterns), source-region (Indian and Chinese TCM/Ayurvedic source regions with documented industrial-deposition contamination; African source regions per Njinga 2022 Nigerian therapeutic herb survey; European source regions; US source regions), processing tier (commercial-supplement-grade vs commodity-spice-grade vs traditional-medicine-grade with variable QC), and adulteration risk (intentional Pb addition in some traditional Ayurvedic preparations, Pb chromate adulteration in spices). The Mexican market survey by Cantoral 2024 identified spices (black pepper, turmeric) as the highest-Pb-detected items across 103 Mexican market foods. The Ghana market survey by Osei-Safo 2024 and Lebanese spice survey by Moussa 2024 document elevated levels in some imported spice supply.
Processing effects
Herbal botanical processing involves drying (the dominant processing step that concentrates per-mass metals via moisture removal at the typical 8-10× factor for dried herbs and spices), milling/powdering (additional per-mass concentration), extraction for supplement and tincture production (solvent-based extraction with ethanol, water, or glycerin partitions metals between solid residue and extract), and packaging. Each step can concentrate metals or introduce contamination from processing-equipment contact.
Ingredient-derivative risk
Herbal botanical derivatives span dried whole botanicals (loose herbs, whole spices), powdered botanicals (ground spices, powdered supplements), liquid extracts (tinctures, fluid extracts, glycerites), capsular supplements (encapsulated dried-and-powdered botanical material), and processed-spice blends. Concentrated extracts and powdered products carry per-mass metals at the dried-herb baseline; capsular supplements deliver per-serving doses that can be substantial for daily-use consumer products. Honey from bees foraging in Cd-contaminated landscapes per Knoll 2024 can carry plant-Cd inheritance.
Mitigation options
Sourcing levers (supply-chain-screening) are the dominant intervention given the documented adulteration risk. Supplier audit programs with chain-of-custody verification (especially for Pb-adulteration high-risk botanicals like cinnamon and turmeric); source-region specification favoring documented low-contamination production zones; and contractual specification of Pb/Cd/Cr ceiling on incoming botanical supply with per-lot certificate of analysis. The CFIA Canadian targeted-survey approach (CFIA 2025) provides a regulatory monitoring model.
Agronomic levers (agronomic) operate at the botanical-cultivation stage. Soil pH management; microbial-induced carbonate precipitation per Zakrzewska 2023 as an emerging biotechnology lever; cultivar selection.
Processing levers (processing) include processing-equipment material specification; drying-and-milling-equipment audit; and avoidance of legacy-contaminated processing facilities.
Formulation levers (formulation) include herb-blend formulations that dilute single-source metal load; substitution of high-Pb-risk botanicals with lower-Pb alternatives in functional formulations.
Testing and QC levers (testing-and-qc) are critical given adulteration risk. Lot-level Pb, Cd, Cr, As testing on incoming botanical supply (per Inada 2023 pharmacopoeia framework); ICP-MS as the standard analytical platform; emerging methods like LIBS for rapid Cd screening per Yang 2024 and ECL aptamer-sensor methods for Pb per Hu 2024.
Packaging and storage levers (packaging-and-storage) include opaque-container specification (protects botanical phytochemistry); moisture-barrier packaging.
Regulatory limits that apply
- eu-2023-915 — EU Reg. 2023/915 sets maximum levels for Pb and Cd in herbs and spices: Pb 1000 ppb general spices, with stricter limits for specific commodity categories; Cd 1500 ppb general spices.
- FDA Import Alert 99-42 (FDA 2024) authorizes detention without physical examination of spices flagged for lead contamination.
- USP Chapter <2232> elemental impurity limits for dietary supplements.
- Codex CCCF17 (Codex 2024) initiates new work on Cd in foods including herbal-botanical matrices.
- Country-specific pharmacopoeia regulations vary widely per Inada 2023; Chinese Pharmacopoeia, US Pharmacopeia, Japanese Pharmacopoeia, and European Pharmacopoeia each set heavy-metal limits for herbal medicines.
- California Prop 65 (california-prop65) Pb MADL applies to herbal-botanical products sold in California; the broader spice-and-herb Prop 65 enforcement context applies to dried-botanical products.
Page history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page. The full version history lives in git; when DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| b0f3d38 | 2026-06-12 | batch | corpus rescreen b04 old terminal skips |