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Heavy metals and toxic elements

Heavy metals found in Chinese medicines can originate naturally or be introduced through environmental pollution or during the processing stages (such as the use of containers that release heavy metals or the addition of heavy metal-containing excipients during preparation). The heavy metals with higher toxicity to the human body are Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Mercury (Hg). Prolonged intake of excessive amounts of heavy metals and toxic elements can potentially cause adverse effects on human health, for instance, impaired liver and kidney function, nervous system damage, and increased cancer risk.

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To ensure that Chinese medicinal materials comply with the limits set in Hong Kong, Chinese medicine retailers and wholesalers should maintain transaction records according to the Chinese Medicine Regulations (Cap. 549F of the Laws of Hong Kong) and the practice guidelines established by the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong. The accurate testing methods recognized by the Chinese Medicine Council under the Department of Health of Hong Kong for determining the content levels include:

  • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)

  • Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

  • Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES)​​​​​​​​

​"Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards"

Except for medicinal materials derived from minerals or where otherwise specified, the heavy metal content in medicinal material samples should comply with the heavy metal testing requirements and content limits established by the Chinese Medicine Council:

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With our sophisticated instruments, experienced chemists/microbiologists, and stringent QA/QC procedures, we assure that all the results reported by our laboratory are accurate and precise.

 

Enviro Labs Ltd. (ELL) uses the ICP-MS method for detection of most of the heavy metal and HOKLAS accreditation has been granted for most of the common toxic element tests. For details of the scope of accreditation, please refer to the HKAS website.

 

References

1. "Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards": Appendix V Determination of Heavy Metals

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