Inorganic analysis of herbal drugs. Part II. Plant and soil analysis – diverse bioavailability and uptake of essential and toxic elements

Eleven elements (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, Ni, Cd, Pb and Cr) in seven herbal drugs (Salviae folium, Menthae piperitae folium, Melissae folium, Lavandulae flos, Basilici herba, Marubii herba and Origani herba) and in rhizosphere soil samples were determined. Amicrowave digestion procedure preceded the measurements by the flame and electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy techniques (FAAS, ETAAS). For potentially hazardous elements and their bioavailability, BCF values were also calculated and discussed in order to identify possible sources of specific elements