SCIENCE  lies at the heart of the mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Agency must rely on cutting edge research, accurate
  measurements and effective technology to implement its programs to protect the environment and human health. Without sound science and credible data,
  EPA can not wisely set environmental and health standards, clean up contaminated sites, measure ambient air and water quality conditions, or identify the new
  technologies or practices that will reduce releases to the environment. These fact sheets share with you some of our EPA New England's laboratory capabilities
  and exemplify some of the very best science we do to meet our agency mission.
                                 GOAL:
                                 Ayurveda is a 2,000-year old system of medicine practiced by hundreds of millions of people in India and
                                 in the  Indian community  worldwide. In recent years, Ayurvedic  herbal medicine  products have become
                                 increasingly popular in the United States. However, questions have been raised  about the safety of these
                                 products. There have been over 50 scattered reports in the medical literature of individuals who had taken
                                 these products developing lead, mercury or arsenic toxicity. For example, lead toxicity associated with these
                                 products has led to fatal infant encephalopathy, congenital paralysis, deafness and developmental delays. In
                                 collaboration with Boston  academic researchers, the EPA New England Regional Laboratory has undertaken
                                 studies to determine whether Ayurvedic products contain harmful metals.
KEY  CONTACTS:

JANET PAQUIN
Chemist
(617) 918-8308
paquin.janet@epa.gov

ERNEST WATERMAN
Chief, Environmental
Investigations & Analysis
(617) 918-8632
waterman.ernest@epa.gov

ROBERT  HILLGER
Senior Science Advisor
(617) 918-8660
hillger.robert@epa.gov
GENERAL INFO:

EPA NEW ENGLAND
REGIONAL  LABORATORY
11 Technology Dr.
North Chelmsford, MA 01863
(617) 918-8300
www.epa.gov/ne/lab

TOLL-FREE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-800-EPA-7341
THE  SCIENCE:
In  2004, a group of Boston researchers, including a
chemist at EPA's regional laboratory,
authored  and published  a ground-
breaking paper in the Journal  of the
American Medical Association (JAMA)
on metals content in Ayurvedic medi-
cines. The study concluded that one
in  five  Ayurvedic herbal medicine
products  produced  in South  Asia
and available in Boston's South Asian
grocery stores contained  potentially
harmful levels of mercury, lead and/
or arsenic. The metal content in the
seventy herbal medicines purchased
at  Boston stores were analy2ed by
the regional laboratory.
                                 For a follow-up  study published  in
                                 JAMA in 2008, the researchers again
                                 asked the  regional  laboratory  to
                                 participate in  an  analysis of the met-
                                 als content in herbal medicine products sold over the
                                 Internet.  The study found that 20.7 percent of the
                                            EPA chemists in
                                           metals analysis lab
Ayurvedic medicines contained lead, arsenic, and/or
                 mercury at levels exceeding one or
                 more standards for acceptable daily
                 intake of toxic metals.  Produc.;
                 manufactured in the United States
                 and India were equally likely to con-
                 tain toxic metals.

                 THE  RESULT:
                 The  studies have had  repercus-
                 sions around  the  world.  As  a
                 direct  result  of  this  research,
                 several  nations have taken steps
                 to  more  strictly  regulate  the
                 content and  labeling of the prod-
                 ucts. Closer to  home, the regional
                 laboratory has  continued to make
                 itself available  to  public health
                 officials  investigating  the causes
                 of poisoning of patients. C , s^v
                 eral  occasions,  the laboratory has
analyzed items in the homes of children admitted to
hospitals with lead poisoning.
                                &EPA
                                                United States
                                                Environmental Protection
                                               k Agency
                                 ® printed on 100% recycled paper,, with a minimum of 50% post consumer waste, using vegetable-based inks
                                                                                    EPA-901-F-09-012
                                                                                          April 2009

-------