[Research progress in health risk assessment of heavy metals and harmful elements in traditional Chinese medicine]

The pollution of heavy metals and harmful elements in traditional Chinese medicine is one of the main problems that hinder the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine. At present, major developed countries have incorporated elemental residues into drug risk assessment to ensure drug quality and safety, while China's drug risk assessment system is still in its infancy. In recent years, China has made efforts to improve the risk assessment system of traditional Chinese medicine. Researchers have reported the risk assessment of heavy metals and harmful elements in traditional Chinese medicine, aiming to evaluate the quality and safety of traditional Chinese medicine and promote the integration of traditional Chinese medicine with international standards. This study reviews the research reports in recent years, compares the pharmacopoeia standards of major developed countries, pinpoints the similarities and differences between different drugs in terms of hazard identification, hazard characteristics, and assessment methods, and discusses the possible problems and development directions of the risk assessment system of traditional Chinese medicine. This review is expected to improve the limit standards of traditional Chinese medicine elements and the risk assessment system of traditional Chinese medicine, thus providing support for enhancing the international competitiveness of traditional Chinese medicine products.