Ingredient class — botanicals/herbs/traditional formulas
This page is a scaffolded entry for HMTc Taxonomy v2.0 Category 16 (Dietary Supplements (Human)), Row 15: Ingredient class — botanicals/herbs/traditional formulas. Evidence ingest into this row is in progress; this page is the routing destination for source-page declarations of products: [supplements-botanicals-herbs]. Sections below are populated by the routing layer (CLAUDE.md Part 5b) as sources land. Where a section is empty, the row has not yet accumulated contributing sources of the required kind.
Who this page is for
- Brand legal teams
- What the peer-reviewed and regulatory literature reports for heavy-metal occurrence in Ingredient class — botanicals/herbs/traditional formulas, with applicable regulatory caps and source-traceable findings. Use this page to evaluate certification or class-action exposure on a literature-anchored basis.
- Brand regulatory affairs / QA
- The current evidence base for Ingredient class — botanicals/herbs/traditional formulas, the levers most-effective at reducing heavy-metal load, and the applicable regulatory limits with jurisdiction and basis.
- Retailers and category buyers
- The row-level assortment risk profile and where the literature distinguishes higher-risk from lower-risk product configurations within this row.
- HMT&C staff (internal)
- HMT&C certification thresholds for products in this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetaltested.com, not on this public page. The Index and HMT&C operate on the same evidence base but apply different publication rules; see the methodology for the separation.
Methodology
This page reports what the cited sources say about heavy-metal concentrations in ingredient class — botanicals/herbs/traditional formulas. Speciation is non-substitutable per CLAUDE.md Part 14 (iAs vs tAs, MeHg vs tHg, Cr-VI vs total Cr). Basis is preserved (finished-product as sold unless the source specifies otherwise; see each row for the basis label). Non-detect handling follows each source’s reporting convention. Pooling is avoided across LOD/LOQ, period, geography, and analytical-basis differences. HMT&C certification thresholds for products in this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetaltested.com, not on this page; this public page reports literature evidence only.
The applicable regulatory jurisdictions for this row are: FDA (DSHEA), USP, California Prop 65.
Literature Evidence Summary
Pending ingest. The routing layer will surface direct-row-fit sources here as they are added to the corpus with products: [supplements-botanicals-herbs] in source-page frontmatter.
Source Evidence Inventory
Pending ingest. The routing layer populates this section from the source-page set declaring products: [supplements-botanicals-herbs].
Broad Product Context: Author-Scope Index
Pending ingest. The routing layer surfaces sources whose author-stated scope is broader than this row (route_kind: broad_product_context) as they are added.
Federal/Regulatory Limits vs Field Findings
Pending ingest. The applicable regulatory jurisdictions for this row are recorded in the page frontmatter; the crosswalk table is generated by tools/apply-product-crosswalk-sections.mjs once regulation pages and field-evidence sources are routed to this row with structured limit values.
Levers to reduce contamination
Practical interventions to reduce heavy-metal load in this row, ordered by impact magnitude. Each lever names the magnitude of the effect with a cited source; cross-links to dedicated Mitigation pages where they exist.
- Sourcing levers — Pending ingest.
- Agronomic levers — Pending ingest. (See Agronomic mitigation for general agronomic mitigation context.)
- Processing levers — Pending ingest. (See Processing mitigation.)
- Formulation levers — Pending ingest. (See Formulation mitigation.)
- Testing and QC levers — Pending ingest. (See Testing and quality-control mitigation when published.)
- Packaging and storage levers — Pending ingest. (See Packaging and storage mitigation when published.)
How standards math uses this page
HMT&C certification thresholds for this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetaltested.com, not on this page. The row-standard for this row is an aggregate computed from the contributing source pool in the row’s native finished-product basis; it is not a per-source decoration of any single value cited on this page. This public page reports literature evidence only.
Historical recalls and enforcement
Pending ingest. Regulatory events (recalls, enforcement actions, import alerts) relevant to this row will be added as agency records are ingested into the corpus.
Sources
Pending ingest. The Source Legend below is auto-generated by tools/evidence/build-source-legend.mjs once source pages declaring products: [supplements-botanicals-herbs] are added.
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 | US Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg occurrence in Ten commercially available Rhodiola rosea supplement products (7 capsular, 3 tinctures) purchased on the U.S. market in 2024 (n=10) |
| 2 | Barber et al. 2025. Toxic elements in baby and young children’s foods in the US and correlation to ingredients, Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | US tAs, iAs, Cd, tHg, MeHg, Pb, Tl occurrence in Non-targeted 2023 FDA convenience survey of 566 foods intended for babies, young children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers:… (n=566) |
| 3 | 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) |
| 4 | Sochacka et al. 2025. Spirulina and Chlorella Dietary Supplements—Are They a Source Solely of Valuable Nutrients?, International Journal of Molecular Sciences | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | PL/EU Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Tl, V, Zn occurrence in 52 commercially available microalgae-based dietary supplements sold on the Polish market: 29 Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) products and 23… (n=52) |
| 5 | Brodziak-Dopierała et al. 2024. Mercury Levels in Selected Medicines and Dietary Supplements in Poland, Biological Trace Element Research | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | PL tHg occurrence in 139 pharmaceutical preparations (75 prescription and OTC drugs, 64 dietary supplements) purchased from pharmacies, drugstores, hypermarkets, and online… (n=139) |
| 6 | 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) |
| 7 | Torović et al. 2024. Mercury Content in Fish Oil Food Supplements and Associated Health Risk, Proceedings 2023, 91, 364 (MDPI Proceedings — 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023) | 2024 | Conference proceedings | RS/BA tHg occurrence in 42 fish oil food supplements available on the markets of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of… (n=42) |
| 8 | Yang 2024. LIBS detection of cadmium in Panax notoginseng, unknown | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | CN Cd occurrence in Panax notoginseng (tienchi ginseng) botanical samples analysed for Cd by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) |
| 9 | Fuckar et al. 2023. Coffee Silver Skin-Health Safety, Nutritional Value, and Microwave Extraction of Proteins, Foods | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | HR Ni, Pb, tAs, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe occurrence in One homogenized coffee-silverskin by-product sample from Croatian coffee roasting, analyzed in six parallel probes for reported heavy-metal concentrations. (n=1) |
| 10 | Brodziak-Dopierała et al. 2023. Mercury Exposure from the Consumption of Dietary Supplements Containing Vegetable, Cod Liver, and Shark Liver Oils, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | PL/EU tHg occurrence in 36 dietary supplement preparations purchased in Poland (pharmacies, drugstores, herbal shops): 18 vegetable oils (cold-pressed and unrefined), 12… (n=36) |
| 11 | Brzezinska-Rojek et al. 2023. Evaluation of the Safety and Potential Benefits of Beetroot-Based Dietary Supplements According to Their Elemental Composition, Biological Trace Element Research (published online 7 October 2023) | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | PL Cd, Pb, Al occurrence in 37 beetroot-based dietary supplements (10 tablets, 14 capsules, 13 powders) from Polish market (online and in-person shops); products… (n=37) |
| 12 | 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) |
| 13 | Patel et al. 2023. Evaluation of heavy metals in herbal plants growing in Singrauli Region of Madhya Pradesh, International Journal of Chemical and Biological Sciences | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | IN Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe occurrence in Ginger rhizome, suran rhizome, and cumin seed samples collected from different locations within Singrauli region, Madhya Pradesh, India;… (n=3) |
| 14 | 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 |
| 15 | 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) |
| 16 | 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) |
| 17 | Shchukin et al. 2022. Evaluation of Elemental Impurities in Peppermint Herb and Peppermint-Based Herbal Products, Regulatory Research and Medicine Evaluation | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | RU Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba, tAs occurrence in Peppermint leaves and peppermint-based herbal products evaluated in Russia |
| 18 | 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) |
| 19 | 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) |
| 20 | 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,… |
| 21 | Liu et al. 2021. Discovery and Identification of Arsenolipids Using a Precursor-Finder Strategy and Data-Independent Mass Spectrometry, Environmental Science and Technology | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | CA tAs occurrence in Krill oil capsules, tuna fillets, hairtail fish heads, and kelp purchased from retail markets in Edmonton (Canada) and… (n=4) |
| 22 | 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) |
| 23 | 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… |
| 24 | 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) |
| 25 | 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 |
| 26 | 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,… |
| 27 | Jairoun et al. 2020. Heavy Metal contamination of Dietary Supplements products available in the UAE markets and the associated risk, Scientific Reports | 2020 | Peer-reviewed | AE Cd, Pb, tAs occurrence in 277 dietary supplement products collected by random selection from the UAE market (pharmacies, para-pharmacies, nutrition shops). Categories: 43.7%… (n=277) |
| 28 | 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) |
| 29 | 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) |
| 30 | 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) |
| 31 | 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) |
| 32 | 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) |
| 33 | Li et al. 2017. Determination of different arsenic species in food-grade spirulina powder by ion chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Journal of Separation Science | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs, iAs occurrence in Food-grade spirulina powder samples purchased at production sites in seven Chinese provinces: Yunnan, Hainan, Guangxi, Fujian, Inner Mongolia,… (n=7) |
| 34 | 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) |
| 35 | Sattler et al. 2016. Essential minerals and inorganic contaminants (barium, cadmium, lithium, lead and vanadium) in dried bee pollen produced in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, Food Science and Technology | 2016 | Peer-reviewed | BR Ba, Cd, Pb, V, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn occurrence in Five unprocessed bee-pollen samples from Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, collected in August-October 2011 and analyzed as… (n=5) |
| 36 | Coghlan et al. 2015. Combined DNA, toxicological and heavy metal analyses provides an auditing toolkit to improve pharmacovigilance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Scientific Reports 5:17475 | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | AU tAs, Pb, Cd occurrence in Twenty-six traditional Chinese medicine products audited in Australia; 25 screened for heavy metals by SF-ICP-MS because one aqueous… (n=26) |
| 37 | 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) |
| 38 | 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) |
| 39 | Al-Dhabi 2013. Heavy metal analysis in commercial Spirulina products for human consumption, Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | AU/US/JP Ni, Zn, tHg, Pt, Mg, Mn occurrence in Twenty-five commercially available Spirulina dietary supplements in tablet (n = 16) and capsule (n = 9) forms, with… (n=25) |
| 40 | 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) |
| 41 | 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) |
| 42 | 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) |
| 43 | 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) |
| 44 | EFSA 2012. Cadmium dietary exposure in the European population, EFSA Journal 2012;10(1):2551 | 2012 | Government report | EU Cd occurrence in Cadmium occurrence results in food submitted to EFSA from 22 EU Member States, 3 European Economic Area or… (n=178541) |
| 45 | 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) |
| 46 | 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;… |
| 47 | Uneyama et al. 2007. Arsenic in various foods: Cumulative data, Food Additives & Contaminants | 2007 | Peer-reviewed | JP/US/GB tAs, iAs occurrence in Cumulative review of arsenic measurements in food from PubMed, Japanese local-authority research databases, and national food-safety surveillance reports;… |
| 48 | 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) |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| ae6c129 | 2026-07-01 | feat(auth): large login + role-based signup screens (design, burgundy) |