Heavy Metals and Plastic Residue Found in Many CBD Products

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Yet another study has found evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) products are frequently mislabeled, with over half of the edibles and topicals tested containing significantly more or less CBD than their labels indicated. Researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine also found that many CBD products are contaminated with low-levels of heavy metals and plastic chemicals.

“Because the cannabis plant is recognized as a bioaccumulator, which is highly effective at absorbing and retaining contaminants (e.g., heavy metals) in soil, it is important to characterize the degree of contamination in CBD products and their label accuracy to better estimate potential health benefits and risks associated with consumption,” researchers explained in the journal The Science of the Total Environment. 

Investigators analyzed 516 CBD products that were purchased online or at retail stores and had them tested at Ellipse Analytics in Denver. About a quarter of the CBD products were edibles.

Less than half of all the products tested had CBD concentrations within 10% of their label claims. Forty percent of the products contained significantly less CBD than claimed by the manufacturer, while 18% contained significantly more CBD.

Of the edible products analyzed, 42% tested positive for the presence of lead, 37% tested positive for mercury, 28% tested positive for arsenic, and 8% tested positive for cadmium. Most contained only trace amounts of heavy metals, but four edibles had lead levels that exceeded California’s recommended limit for daily lead consumption.

THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

Many of the edibles also contained low levels of plastic chemicals – known as phthalates – that are designed to make plastics more flexible. Phthalates leach off plastic and have become pervasive in the air, soil and water. Some phthalates have affected the reproductive systems of animals, although their impact on human health is not clear.

The percentage of CBD edibles with detectable phthalate concentrations ranged from 13% to 80% across four phthalates, with DEHP being the most prevalent. DEHP has been linked to cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm. Federal law prohibits the manufacture and sale of children’s toys and child care products containing DEHP at levels greater than 0.1%. 

“Low-level contamination of edible CBD products with heavy metals and phthalates is pervasive. There is substantial discrepancy between the product label claims for CBD potency and the amount measured in both edible and topical products, underscoring the need for tight regulations for CBD product label integrity to protect consumers,” researchers concluded.

“Given that the consumer demographic purchasing CBD products includes those afflicted with pain, insomnia, anxiety, and other health conditions, these findings could give consumers and medical practitioners hesitation about the benefits and potential harm of CBD use.”

The study was funded by Jazz Pharmaceuticals and the Clean Label Project, a non-profit that seeks to improve food and consumer product labeling.

Previous studies have also found that many CBD products are mislabeled. A recent study at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine found that only half of the CBD oil products had concentrations of cannabidiols that were within 10% of their label claims. Researchers also found that most CBD oils contained trace amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive substance in cannabis, including some oils that were labeled "THC Free."

Microplastic Particles Linked to IBD

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Microplastics — tiny bits of plastic so small they are invisible to the naked eye --- can be found in our food, water and even the air we breathe. But research is only beginning on the prevalence and health effects of plastic particles in humans.

A 2020 study found that babies fed formula from plastic bottles swallowed millions of microplastic particles every day. And a recent review that looked at the impact of microplastics on human cells found evidence of cell death, immune response and damage to cell walls.

“We are exposed to these particles every day: we’re eating them, we’re inhaling them. And we don’t really know how they react with our bodies once they are in,” lead author Evangelos Danopoulos, a postgraduate student at Hull York Medical School in the UK told The Guardian.

For the first time, Chinese researchers have now found evidence that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more microplastics in their feces, suggesting that plastic particles in the digestive tract could play a role in the development of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Researchers obtained fecal samples from 52 people with IBD and 50 healthy people from different geographic regions of China. They found that feces from the IBD patients had significantly more microplastics than the control group – an average of 41.8 particles per gram in the IBD group vs. 28 particles in healthy people. People with more severe IBD symptoms had higher levels of microplastics. Their particles also tended to be smaller.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Researchers surveyed both groups and found that people who consumed more bottled water and takeaway food, and were often exposed to dust had more microplastics (MPs) in their feces. The two most common types of plastic found were polyethylene terephthalate (PET; used in bottles and food containers) and polyamide (PA; found in food packaging and textiles).

Still unclear is whether exposure to microplastics causes or contributes to IBD, or whether people with IBD simply accumulate more microplastics in their digestive tracts because of their disease.

“We conclude that the plastic packaging of drinking water and food and dust exposure are important sources of human exposure to MPs. Furthermore, the positive correlation between fecal MPs and IBD status suggests that MP exposure may be related to the disease process or that IBD exacerbates the retention of MPs,” researchers reported in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

The prevalence of IBD is rising around the world. A 2015 CDC study estimated that about 3.1 million adults in the U.S. were diagnosed with IBD, nearly double the 1.8 million Americans who reported having IBD in 1999. The researchers found an association between IBD and people with lower income and education levels, but did not look into the role of microplastics.