Determination of the Heavy Metal Levels in Panax notoginseng and the Implications for Human Health Risk Assessment

ABSTRACT High levels of heavy metals in Panax notoginseng (Sanchi), a valued traditional Chinese medicine, have drawn increasing concern regarding the safe usage of Sanchi preparations. Here, we measured the concentrations of six heavy metals in Sanchi samples from 20 major plantations, investigated the pharmaceutical processes and usages of Sanchi preparations, and assessed the associated potential health risks to consumers. The average concentrations of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in the Sanchi samples were 2.7, 3.7, 6.2, 22.1, 2.0, and 1.4 mg/kg, respectively. The hazard quotients (HQs) for these six single metals and the hazard index (HI) of these metals’ combination were all far less than 1, indicating the absence of a non-carcinogenic health hazard to consumers. The carcinogenic risk of As was 2.1 × 10−6, which is higher than the allowable level suggested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but less than the level suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). The probabilities of consumers’ exposure due to daily medicine consumption exceeding the allowable daily intakes from medicine (ADIsdrug, 1% of the ADI) suggested by the WHO were 0.0%, 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.0%, 1.6%, and 27.3% for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As, respectively.