Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Inorganic Arsenic via Consumption of Herbs Collected in Thailand

Table 4

Total and inorganic arsenic contents and percentage of inorganic arsenic in Thai herbs, expressed as mean ± standard deviation (minimum–maximum).

Herb	Total arsenic (ng/g)		Inorganic arsenic (ng/g)		% Inorganic; arsenic
	Wet weight	Dry weight	Wet weight	Dry weight
Bird’s eye chili; (Capsicum frutescens)	40.5 ± 14.9; (28.0–79.2)	113 ± 39.7; (78.3–219)	14.4 ± 3.72; (9.31–23.5)	40.2 ± 10.2; (24.9–63.8)	36.6 ± 5.95; (27.2–46.1)
Cayenne pepper; (Capsicum annuum)	16.4 ± 2.21; (13.3–19.9)	62.7 ± 8.26; (47.2–81.9)	7.83 ± 1.74; (6.15–13.3)	29.9 ± 7.31; (23.8–54.6)	47.7 ± 7.39; (35.7–66.7)
Celery; (Apium graveolens)	3.39 ± 0.940; (1.96–5.81)	41.0 ± 11.8; (30.4–77.5)	2.09 ± 0.566; (1.28–3.37)	25.3 ±6.81; (17.2–39.6)	62.1 ± 7.93; (48.8–75.4)
Garlic; (Allium sativum)	8.01 ± 2.06; (6.49–13.1)	59.9 ± 12.8; (42.6–79.8)	3.15 ± 1.00; (/2.05–5.54)	23.5 ± 6.60; (15.5–36.9)	39.3 ± 6.46; (30.7–48.8)
Holy basil; (Ocimum sanctum)	26.6 ± 7.13; (13.2–44.9)	128 ± 22.8; (73.4–177)	9.64 ± 2.61; (5.95–14.6)	46.8 ± 9.97; (31.4–66.1)	37.0 ± 7.19; (24.8–47.0)
Kitchen mint; (Mentha cordifolia)	10.5 ± 3.00; (6.46–16.0)	80.6 ± 16.1; (49.0–96.8)	4.00 ± 1.08; (1.95–5.77)	31.0 ± 7.20; (16.6–42.8)	38.6 ± 5.65; (30.2–46.7)
Lemongrass; (Cymbopogon citratus)	32.0 ± 5.38; (23.4–43.3)	100 ± 16.1; (73.4–127)	17.7 ± 2.81; (14.2–25.2)	55.5 ± 8.12; (44.5–73.8)	56.0 ± 8.43; (44.4–68.3)
Pepper; (Piper nigrum)	119 ± 19.0; (84.2–149.6)	132 ± 21.0; (92.4–166)	26.9 ± 5.39; (13.9–33.5)	29.7 ± 6.03; (15.3–37.3)	22.7 ± 4.30; (15.4–31.1)
Shallot; (Allium cepa)	12.6 ± 5.05; (5.13–26.3)	156 ± 52.2; (87.0–263)	2.87 ± 1.07; (1.34–4.86)	34.6 ± 7.42; (22.7–50.1)	24.1 ± 7.15; (10.5–32.5)
Sweet basil; (Ocimum basilicum)	18.6 ± 6.09; (10.0–35.4)	102 ± 37.7; (59.2–207)	8.56 ± 3.40; (6.33–20.3)	46.3 ± 16.6; (30.8–104)	52.2 ± 33.7; (22.3–159)

A total of 150 samples (15 samples for each herb) were determined for total arsenic and inorganic arsenic.
= mean values with different superscripts in the same column are significantly different (p < 0.05).
% inorganic arsenic = (concentration of inorganic arsenic × 100)/concentration of total arsenic.