Analysis of Mercury Concentration in Dietary Supplements Supporting Weight Loss and Health Risk Assessment

Background: Dietary supplements (DSs) are products classified as foodstuffs, but frequently wrongly identified as medicines. The aim of the study was to determine the mercury (Hg) content in DSs supporting weight loss. The analysis concerned DSs' main active ingredient, form and manufacturer. The exposure to Hg resulting from the consumption of the supplements tested and the potential risk to health were also assessed. The results were compared to the permissible standards specified by the EU. Materials and Methods: The study used 47 preparations available on the Polish market. The studies were performed by means of an AMA 254 Hg analyzer using the atomic absorption spectrometry method with the amalgamation technique. Results: The Hg content in slimming DSs ranged from 0.12 to 46.27 µg/kg; the arithmetic mean was 5.80 µg/kg, whereas the median value was lower-2.44 µg/kg. The highest average Hg content (21.58 µg/kg) was found in supplements containing chlorella, followed by preparations containing white mulberry-10.98 µg/kg. The lowest Hg content was noted in preparations with L-carnitine (1.07 µg/kg). Conclusions: In none of the supplements tested did the amount of Hg exceed the permissible standard, indicating that their consumption in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations does not pose a risk to consumers' health. To assess the risk of exposure, the THQ (Target Hazard Quotient) index was calculated and found to be higher than 1 for 11 DSs. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a likely risk of side effects associated with the consumption of the DSs tested.