Metal Impurities in Pharmaceuticals and Dietary Supplements:Implementing ICP-MS for USP <232> and Proposition 65

摘要

Heavy metal exposure of a popu-lation has been a long-standing health concern. When this exposure occurs through prescribed medicine or dietary supplements, it is even more worrisome. Metals have been monitored for years; while some are toxic, others are necessary to biological func- tions. Even though some metals are used as catalysts to produce the medications, all nonessential metals should be eliminated from the final product; their presence may represent product quality issues. Whatever the source, the responsibility for testing all products lies with the manufacturer.