Dietary Intake of Toxic Heavy Metals with Major Groups of Food Products—Results of Analytical Determinations

Abstract

Food contains a complex matrix of various substances, including essential nutrients, non-nutritive substances, and toxins, including metals. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the contribution of major groups of food products to an overall intake of toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, and Ni) using a combination of the 24-dietary recall technique, the ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry) method, and chemometric tools. The obtained results reveal that there is a high potential risk of developing nephrotoxicity through the dietary intake of Pb in the case of both genders. The dietary intake determined for other elements (Cd, Hg, and Ni) was far below the limits established by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) supported analytical determinations and revealed that cereals and vegetables were major contributors to a total intake of Cd (39.6 and 17.4% of the total exposure, respectively), Ni (40.4 and 19.3%), and Hg (16.8 and 19.6%), while water and beverages were major dietary sources of Pb (31% of the total daily intake). In contrast, eggs, fats and oils, and milk and dairy products provided the smallest amounts of Cd, Pb, and Ni. Despite containing high amounts of Hg, considering very low consumption, fish were not found to be an important source of this element.

Partial Characterization of Lectins Purified from the Surco and Vara (Furrow and Rod) Varieties of Black Phaseolus vulgaris

“…When temperature effects on LBBV and LBBS were examined, their stability in the 0−70 °C range was confirmed, concurring with the results obtained in other studies focusing on other bean lectins. On the other hand, higher temperatures have been found to cause considerable decrease in hemagglutinating activity, which typically ceases above 90 °C [ 17 , 60 , 61 , 64 , 65 , 66 ]. Moreover, as the hemagglutinating activity of lectins is dependent on their native tridimensional structure, any structural changes would impact the biological activity of the protein, ultimately causing denaturation and, therefore, complete loss of hemagglutinating capacity [ 13 , 67 , 68 ].…”

In Vitro Evaluation of Bioavailability of Se from Daily Food Rations and Dietary Supplements

“…Due to the fact that it is an agricultural region, over 90% of the most important products (cereal products, milk and milk products, meat and meat products, eggs, vegetables and fruit) were of local origin. The dishes were prepared and cooked in the laboratory in a manner similar to local culinary practices, according to the guidelines described in the available literature and using a procedure that was previously checked and validated [ 5 , 6 , 50 , 51 ]. In accordance with the international WHO/GEMS/Food recommendations, the food was prepared using drinking water from the city where the food products were purchased, in this case, Lublin.…”

Toxic Heavy Metals in Soil and Plants from a Gold Mining Area, South Africa

“…The non-essential heavy metals, for example, cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), uranium (U), are toxic to humans even at low concentrations [14,25,26]. Cadmium is known to cause lung damage, kidney damage and fragile bones which can result in death [27,28].…”