Heavy metal content in some essential oils and plant extracts

摘要

In 1993-94, the contents of Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn and other trace elements in commercial samples of essential oils and plant extracts from Rosa damascena, Lavandula vera [L. angustifolia], Mentha piperita, Salvia sclarea, Ocimum basilicum, Foeniculum officinale [F. vulgare], Coriandrum sativum, Anethum graveolens, Hyssopus officinalis and Rhus cotinus [Cotinus coggygria], produced in Bulgaria, were determined. Results obtained from graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques were compared. Heavy metal content in oils from different regions were compared with those in some oils obtained from species grown on heavily polluted soils and under severe atmospheric pollution. Results, obtained from the 2 techniques were very similar. The concentrations of the most hazardous heavy metals were very low (near the detection limits of the techniques used) in all of the tested oils and plant extracts; data are tabulated. It is concluded that most of the essential oiland medicinal crops could be successfully grown on heavy metal polluted soils and under atmospheric pollution as substitutes for some other edible crops.