A recent study has indicated the presence of heavy metals in more than 100 types of red and white wine from a dozen countries, including, in alphabetical order, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Jordan, Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain. UK researchers claim that the beverages contain traces of vanadium, copper and manganese, which exceed the health standards imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 

The Argentinean, Brazilian and Italian wines analyzed didn't prove to contain traces of the hazardous materials. A target hazard quotient (THQ) higher than one (1) would pose a permanent threat to health, spanning the entire life, as indicated by an EPA-developed formula – and a part of these wines have a THQ of over 300, showed the research. “Drinking a 250 milliliter- (8.5 ounce-) glass of one of these wines would be a potential health hazard over a lifetime,” shared Declan Naughton, professor of biomeolecular science at London's Kingston University, and author of the study.

 

The actual effect on consumers' health have not been determined, though, but it is a known fact that inhaled vanadium can lead to respiratory issues, manganese causes motion deficiency (associated with the Parkinson disease), while copper inflammation is linked to cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart illnesses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was handed the results in order to assess the effect of wine consumption, yet, the reason for the heavy metal presence has not been determined yet. Possible sources, however, include the soil where vines grow, the yeast used in the fermenting process, or the fungicide substances used.

 

Naughton believes that the wines in question should be labeled dangerous, in order to inform the public on the possible effects on their health. Gladys Horiuchi, a spokeswoman for the Wine Institute of California trade group, is worried about the results of the study – “We're trying to check the credibility of the study. We're concerned about the perceptions of wine because the publicity […] raises questions in people's minds about wine in general.”