Multi-elemental composition of botanical preparations and probabilistic evaluation of toxic metals and metalloids intake upon dietary exposure.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inorganic elemental composition (49 elements) of 29 botanical preparations obtained from fruits, leaves, peels, seeds, roots, fungi, and spirulina by using inductively coupled-mass spectrometry and a mercury analyzer. Simultaneously, the risk associated with the chronic dietary exposure to 12 toxic metals and metalloids among the European population was evaluated by using a probabilistic approach based on Monte Carlo simulations. The analysis revealed worrying intake levels of Al, As, and Ni, primarily stemming from the consumption of spirulina-, peel-, and leaf-based botanicals by younger age groups.