Elemental Impurities in Pediatric Calcium Carbonate Preparations-High Throughput Quantification and Risk Assessment

Calcium carbonate which is extracted from the Earth in combination with other mineral impurities, is largely used in preparations for pediatric supplements. Elemental impurities in drug products pose toxicological concerns without therapeutic benefits. Thus, it is very urgent to assess the safety of chronic exposure to elements that may be present in trace amounts. In the present study, we developed high throughput ICP-MS method for the quantitative determination of 62 elemental impurities in high matric calcium carbonate samples and validated according to USP 233. Calcium carbonate preparations which state clearly used for child (including neonates, infants, toddlers and children) from 9 manufactures and two types of raw materials (light calcium carbonate and ground calcium carbonate) were investigated in terms of the content and variability of 62 elemental impurities. According to the results, ground calcium carbonate was more suitable to be used in pediatric preparations concerning elemental impurities. Parts of elemental impurities in CaCO₃ preparations which are derived from the raw materials and the preparation process, may cause potential risks for children. These results indicate that it is necessary to establish a modern instrumental analysis method to evaluate and control elemental impurities in CaCO₃ raw materials and preparations.