Assessment of Toxic Metal Contamination and Consumer Safety of Medicinal Plants in Al-Diwaniyah Herbal Shops.

Abstract

The growing use of herbal remedies has raised concerns about toxic metal contamination. This study evaluated the levels and health risks of five metals-lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cr)-in 20 commonly used medicinal herbs from four shops in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy revealed that average concentrations of most metals exceeded international safety limits, particularly for Cr, which surpassed WHO standards in all samples. Concentrations ranged from: Pb (0.38 ± 0.01 -3.77 ± 0.11 mg/kg), Cd (BLD-0.62 ± 0.03 mg/kg), Ni (0.04 ± 0.01-10.96 ± 0.76 mg/kg), Cu (5.31 ± 0.21-23.49 ± 1.40 mg/kg), and Cr (3.39 ± 0.10-7.17 ± 0.28 mg/kg). Shop 1 contributed the highest share of contamination. Health risk was assessed using EDI, THQ, HI, CR, and TCCR, based on data from 4 vendors and 280 consumers. While most EDI, THQ, and HI values were within safe thresholds, CR values for Ni and Cr showed slight elevation, and TCCR exceeded the 1 × 10⁻⁴ Limit in 50% of samples. Findings suggest that prolonged consumption of certain herbs may pose health risks, underscoring the importance of stricter quality control, source verification, and monitoring to ensure consumer safety.