Heavy Metal Content of Rice Meals Sold in a Nigerian Market Population with a High Prevalence of Hypertension

Abstract

Context: Some market populations in Nigeria have been shown to have high prevalence of hypertension. Current evidence includes environmental pollutants such as heavy metals as risk factors for hypertension. Aim: To study the heavy metal content of rice meals sold in a market population with a high prevalence of hypertension. Settings and Design: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in Ogbete market in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: Five different cooked rice meals were obtained from 25 locations of the market. The rice meals included jollof rice, white rice and tomato stew, fried rice, white rice and vegetable sauce, and white rice and palm oil stew (ofeakwu). Accompanying protein (meat, fish, and egg) and vegetable salad were excluded. Similar rice meals were homogenized and analyzed in triplicates using spectrophotometric methods for mercury, copper, cadmium, lead, and arsenic determination. Statistical Analysis Used: The mean concentrations of the heavy metals were compared using analysis of variance, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Twenty-five rice dishes were evaluated, five of each kind. Arsenic content ranged from 503 to 550 mg/kg and was comparable across the five rice dishes (P = 0.148). Copper was significantly highest (16767 mg/kg) in the white rice and tomato stew dish (P < 0.001), while mercury was significantly highest (33 mg/kg) in white rice and ofeakwu (P < 0.001). Jollof rice had the highest cadmium content (23 mg/kg), which was statistically significant (P = 0.021). Lead was not found in any of the rice dishes. Conclusions: Risk factors such as heavy metals may play a role in the high prevalence of hypertension observed in market populations, and rice meals may be a major source of these heavy metals.

Co-Impact of Security Challenges, Energy Price Shocks, and Environmental Pollution on Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria

“…These activities affect food safety, an essential component of food security, and as a result pose serious threat to human health (Munir et al, 2022;Ahmed et al, 2021;Bakshi and Banik, 2018). Presence of various toxic metals in foods harvested and consumed in Nigeria have been reported (Anakwue et al, 2021;Omeje et al, 2021;Sadi et al, 2021;Ayanda et al, 2020;Maduforo et al, 2020). Study observed that chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) found in cereals and cereal-based food products consumed in Nigeria were higher than Food and Agricultural Organization/ World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) safe limits (Arigbede et al, 2019).…”