Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy Metal Contaminants in Yerberia Shop Products

  • Toxicology Investigation
  • Published:
Journal of Medical Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medications, including the use of herbal medications, have become quite popular in the USA. Yerberias are found throughout the southwest and specialize in selling Hispanic herbal products. The products sold in these stores are not regulated by any governmental agency. Previous reports have found Ayurvedic medications contain high levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of heavy metal contaminants sold at Yerberia stores in the southwest. Yerberias in the Phoenix, Arizona area were identified via search of an on-line search engine using the words "Yerberia Phoenix." Every second store was selected, and products were purchased using a standard script. The products were subsequently analyzed for mercury, lead, and arsenic. The main outcome is the prevalence of heavy metal content in over-the-counter "cold" medications purchased at a Yerberia. Twenty-two samples were purchased. One product contained pure camphor (2-camphone) and was subsequently not further analyzed. Of the 21 samples analyzed, lead was found in 4/21 (19.4 %). Arsenic and mercury were in 1/21 (4.8 %) each. Because two samples contained two heavy metals, the total prevalence of heavy metals was 4/21 (19.4). Heavy metal contaminants are commonly encountered in over-the-counter herbal "cold" medications purchased at Yerberias in the southwest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R (2008) Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. National Health Statistics reports; no 12. Hyattsville, MD. National Center for Health Statistics

    Google Scholar 

  2. Saper RB, Kales SN, Paquin J et al (2004) Heavy metal content of ayurvedic herbal medicine products. JAMA 292:2868–2873

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A et al (2008) Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian manufactured ayurvedic medicines sold via the internet. JAMA 300:915–923

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Garvey GJ, Hahn G, Lee RV et al (2001) Heavy metal hazards of Asian traditional remedies. Int J Environ Health Res 11:63–71

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ernst E (2002) Heavy metals in traditional Indian remedies. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 57:891–896

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Method 3050 B. Acid digestion of sediments, sludges, and soils. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/testmethods/sw846/pdfs/3050b.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct 2011

  7. Method 200.9, Revision 2.2 (1994) Determination of trace elements by stabilized temperature graphite furnace atomic absorption. Environmental Protection Agency. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/methods/cwa/bioindicators/upload/2007_07_10_methods_method_200_9.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct 2011

  8. Method 7473 (2007) Mercury in solids and solutions by thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. http://www.epa.gov/sam/pdfs/EPA-7473.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct 2011

  9. Ottolini MC, Hamburger EK, Loprieato JO et al (2001) Complementary and alternative medicine use among children in the Washington, DC area. Ambul Pediatr 1:122–125

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sidora-Arcoleo K, Yoos HL, Kitzman H et al (2008) Don't ask, don't tell: parental nondisclosure of complementary and alternative medicine and over-the-counter medication use in children's asthma management. J Pediatr Health Care 22:221–229

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Yu SM, Ghandour RM, Huang ZJ (2004) Herbal supplement use among US women, 2000. J Am Med Wom Assoc 59:17–24

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Heard K, Sloss D, Weber S et al (2006) Overuse of over-the-counter analgesics by emergency department patients. Ann Emerg Med 48:315–318

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Khandpur S, Malhotra AK, Bhatia V et al (2008) Chronic arsenic toxicity from Ayurvedic medicines. Int J Dermatol 47:618–621

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Dunbabin DW, Tallis GA, Popplewell PY et al (1992) Lead poisoning from Indian herbal medicine (Ayurveda). Med J Aust 157:835–836

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Moore C, Adler R (2000) Herbal vitamins: lead toxicity and developmental delay. Pediatrics 106:600–602

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Herbal dietary supplements: examples of deceptive or questionable marketing practices and potentially dangerous advice (2010) United States Government Accountability Office. Report GAO-10-662 T. http://www.gao.gov/assets/130/124774.pdf. Accessed 23 Mar 2012.

  17. Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in foods (1994). http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/standards/17/CXS_193e.pdf. Accessed 13 Nov 2011.

Download references

Conflict of Interest

There are no financial, litigational, or other conflicts of interest involved in the preparation of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Toxicology, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Michael Levine, Anne-Michelle Ruha, Robert N. E. French & Daniel E. Brooks

  2. Section of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Michael Levine

  3. Office of Public Health Chemistry, Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Jason Mihalic

  4. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, 1200 North State Street #1101, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA

    Michael Levine

Authors
  1. Michael Levine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jason Mihalic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne-Michelle Ruha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert N. E. French
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Daniel E. Brooks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Levine.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Levine, M., Mihalic, J., Ruha, AM. et al. Heavy Metal Contaminants in Yerberia Shop Products. J. Med. Toxicol. 9, 21–24 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-012-0231-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-012-0231-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation