Abstract
In this study, the safety of commercial herbal medicines was evaluated by determining concentration of hazardous heavy metals. 3,152 samples (244 types) purchased by individual packing unit from market in Seoul, were analyzed using ICP-MS and mercury analyzer. As a result, the content (mg $kg^{-1}$) of Pb was higher in the above-ground part (0.92) than underground part (0.43). But in case of As and Cd contents, there is slightly higher in the underground-parts (0.26, 0.13) than the above-ground parts (0.18, 0.08). There were many herbal medicines exceeding regulatory limits of Cd comparing with other metals. The levels of Hg seemed to be different between above-ground part(0.009) and underground part (0.008) but there was no sample exceeding tolerance limits. In the comparison of imported samples with domestic herbal medicines, it was shown that Pb, As, and Hg were measured highly in the imported ones, Cd was not significantly different (t-test, p<0.05). The significant correlation was observed between Pb and As (r=0.386, p<0.01) but there was no difference in other parts. The heavy metal contamination of herbal medicines measured in total amount of respective heavy metals (mg $kg^{-1}$) was high in Flos (6.241) and Caulis (2.238), and decreased in the order of Cortex (1.634), Herba (1.154), Perithecium (0.861), Rhizoma (0.828), Radix (0.825), Fructus (0.475), and was low in Semen (0.422) (ANOVA-test, p<0.05).
본 연구는 유통한약재에 대한 중금속의 안전성을 약용부위에 따른 유해중금속의 함량으로 평가 하였다. 시료는 서울지역에서 포장단위로 구매된 244품목 3152건을 대상으로 ICP-MS와 수은분석기로 분석하였다. 납의 함량(mg $kg^{-1}$)은 한약재의 지상부(0.92)가 지하부(0.43)보다 높았다. 그러나 비소는 지하부(0.26)와 지상부(0.18)으로 차이가 있었고, 카드뮴도 지하부(0.13)가 지상부 (0.08)보다 높았다. 유통한약재에서 카드뮴의 기준을 초과한 건수가 다른 유해중금속에 비교하여 많았다. 수은은 지상부(0.009)와 지하부(0.008)에서 유의적인 차이가 있었으나, 수은의 기준을 초과한 시료는 없었다(t-test, p<0.05). 원산지간의 비교에서, 납, 비소, 수은은 국산보다 수입산 한약재가 중금속의 함량이 높았으나, 카드뮴에서는 차이가 없었다(t-test, p<0.05). 납, 비소, 카드뮴, 수은 사이의 상관관계는 납은 비소와 상관관계(r=0.386)를 보였으나, 다른 부위에서는 관계가 적었다 (p<0.01). 약용부위에 따른 개별중금속의 합(mg $kg^{-1}$)은 씨(0.422), 과실부위(0.475)가 적었고, 뿌리(0.825), 뿌리줄기부위(0.828), 버섯부위(0.861)가 다음이고, 잎(1.154), 표피(1.634), 줄기(2.238), 꽃부위(6.241)의 순으로 중금속 오염이 심했다 (ANOVA-test, p<0.05).