Analysis of heavy metal content and health risk assessment of Astragalus membranaceus in Gansu province

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the pollution of heavy metals in Astragalus membranaceus in the main producing areas of Gansu, and to evaluate the potential health risks of edible Astragalus membranaceus. Methods: The contents of five heavy metal elements Pb, Cd, As, Hg and Cu in Astragalus membranaceus were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer （ICP-MS） by random sampling method, and the data were analyzed. Estimated Daily Intake （EDI）, Target Hazard Factor （THQ） and Lifetime Carcinogenicity Risk （LCR） were used for health risk assessment. Results: The average contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu elements in 58 batches of Astragalus membranaceus samples were 0.148, 0.024, 0.139, 0.011 and 4.569 mg/kg, respectively. According to the limited standards stipulated in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, although the detection rate of individual elements was high, but none of them exceeds the standard. The health risk assessment model showed that EDICu＞Pb＞Hg＞Cd, and all less than 1, LCR was also less than 1×10-6. Indicated that the overall level of Astragalus membranaceus samples in this study was safe. Conclusion: The content of five heavy metals in Astragalus membranaceus produced in Gansu will not cause potential risks to the health of adults and children, and there is no potential carcinogenic risk.

Keywords

• astragalus membranaceus
• heavy metal residues
• feature analysis
• health risk assessment