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Analysis of the Presence of Toxic Metals in Yerba Mate Samples: a Case Study from South Brazil

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Abstract

The presence of toxic metals in soil enables them to be absorbed by plants. The RDC 42/2013 published by Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) defines the maximum values of cadmium (0.4 mg kg−1) and lead (0.6 mg kg−1) in yerba mate commercialized in Common Market of the South (Mercosul). This work is a retrospective study that aimed to evaluate cadmium and lead levels in processed yerba mate and in natura leaves in Southern Brazil. The cadmium and lead concentrations in 370 processed yerba mate and 122 in natura leave samples obtained in Southern Brazil were analyzed. In 47.56% of the processed samples, the levels of cadmium and/or lead were found to be above the authorized levels. The cadmium levels found in the processed yerba mate were 0.37 ± 0.19 mg kg−1, and the corresponding values for lead were 0.34 ± 0.21 mg kg−1. Values above the authorized levels were also found in the non-processed leaves. Studies are required to determine whether these levels are natural or represent contamination.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Dr. Jean Carlos Budke for the Kriging analysis and LAGEPLAN-URI for the map.

Funding

This study was funded by URI Erechim and SINDIMATE/RS, SC, and PR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões – URI, Campus Erechim, Avenida Sete de Setembro, 1621, Erechim, RS, 99700-000, Brazil

    Alice Teresa Valduga & Ederlan Magri

  2. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, 90610-000, Brazil

    Itamar Luís Gonçalves

  3. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências do Solo, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários 1540 - Juvevê, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil

    Ederlan Magri

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  1. Alice Teresa Valduga
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  2. Itamar Luís Gonçalves
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Correspondence to Itamar Luís Gonçalves.

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Valduga, A.T., Gonçalves, I.L. & Magri, E. Analysis of the Presence of Toxic Metals in Yerba Mate Samples: a Case Study from South Brazil. Water Air Soil Pollut 230, 153 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-019-4204-z

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