Potentially toxic elements impurities and their health risks assessment in some weight loss herbal infusions

In this research, potentially toxic elements impurities were determined and measured in popular brands (BR) of weight loss herbal infusions. Each brand consists of at least 4 mixtures of medicinal plants. Measurement of each metal was conducted by graphite furnace atomic adsorption spectrometer (GF-AAS). The Hazard Quotient and the Cancer Risk (LTCR) of each metal were calculated for all brands. Results showed that the highest amount of lead was found in BR4 and BR2 with an average of 2.23 and 2.11 µg/g, respectively, Cd accumulation was highest in BR1 with an average of 0.177 µg/g, and As concentrations were highest in BR3 with an average concentration of 0.092 µg/g. The LTCR values revealed that Cd has the highest carcinogenic risk (0.28⤫10–5), while Pb and As exhibited lower LTCR values (around 10–8). This study showed that the consumption of herbal weight loss infusion does not have any carcinogenic risk for human consumer. However, measurement and monitoring of toxic metals in all food is necessary as part of quality and safety inspection processes.