Table 2.
Summary of heavy metal and chlorpyrifos content in comparison with toxicological reference limits. For additional explanation see Sections 2.5 and 2.6.
| Fixed Cut-off Limits (ppm) (NSF International, 2008; EUP, 2010) | # Samples > Limit (% all samples in parentheses) | # Samples > Chronic RfD or Chronic PAD Cut-off (% all samples in parentheses) (US EPA, 2010; JECFA, 2000, 2010) | # Samples > MRL Cut-off (% all samples in parentheses) (ATSDR, 2010) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herb Taken as Soup/Tea (10% Leaching) | Whole Herb Ingested | Herb Taken as Soup/Tea (Assuming 10% Leaching) | Whole Herb Ingested | |||||
| Acute Exposure | Chronic Exposure | Acute Exposure | Chronic Exposure | |||||
| Arsenic | 5 | 2 (0.6%) | 6 (1.8%) | 112 (33.5%) | 1 (0.3%) | 6 (1.8%) | 2 (0.6%) | 112 (33.5%) |
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| Cadmium | 0.3 | 68 (20.4%) | 0 (0%) | 27 (8.1%) | 2 (0.6%) | 27 (8.1%) | 62 (18.6%) | 175 (52.4%) |
|
| ||||||||
| Chromium | 2 | 64 (19.2%) | 1 (0.3%) | 63 (18.9%) | 0 (0%) | 14 (4.2%) | 32 (9.6%) | 177 (53.0%) |
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| Lead | 10 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 40 (12.0%) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
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| Mercury | 0.2 | 3 (0.9%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (0.9%) |
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| Chlorpyrifos | 0.5 | 13 (4.4%) | 66 (22.4%) | 75 (25.5%) | 5 (1.7%) | 13 (4.4%) | 18 (6.1%) | 37 (12.6%) |