Thyme herbs constitute a major part of the Mediterranean diet and are gaining worldwide popularity. However, their chemical contamination with toxic metals may put consumers at a health risk. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the incidence of Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) in thyme herbs and thyme-containing products. For this, 180 samples pooled into 36 composite samples of the most consumed types of thyme-containing products and thyme herbs were collected twice at three-month intervals. Samples were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) ...

Recently, high levels of heavy metals in several Lebanese foods were reported, which has raised the issue that today, many Lebanese products could be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins. Knowing that no regulations, effective control or corrective actions from the Lebanese government are present, there is a need to assess the exposure of the Lebanese to those contaminants through its consumption. The objective of this study was to assess the exposure of the Lebanese population to heavy metals through the consumption of white pitta bread and to evaluate the health risks of its consumption ...