Heavy metals and essential elements in Italian cereals

Abstract

Crops intended for human nutrition and food production containing different essential trace elements, such as copper and zinc, could be contaminated by toxic metals like cadmium and lead. The interrelationship between micronutrients and contaminant trace elements in different cereals was investigated in North-western Italy, where both agricultural and industrial activities are present. Elemental concentrations in sampled cereals were assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Rice, oats and barley reached the highest median levels for Al, Cd and Pb content, while corn samples were less contaminated by toxic metals. Regarding essential elements highest median values of Cu and Zn were both found in barley, while Ni median content was higher in oats. Rice had the lowest median levels of essential elements. The correlation study between toxic and essential elements seemed to demonstrate fixed trends in analysed samples, corroborating the importance of a different diet to limit potential adverse effects caused by toxic elements.

Analysis of lead and cadmium in cereal products and duplicate diets of a small group of selected Brisbane children for estimation of daily metal exposure

“…The levels of Pb and Cd found in these breakfast cereals were generally comparable with reported values for cereal products [16,17,18]. Breakfast cereals are considered beneficial and about two-thirds are consumed by the Australian children [19,20].…”

“…The Food Standards Australia New Zealand has set the maximum permitted levels of Cd in wheat and rice at 0.1 mg/kg, and Pb at 0.2 mg/kg for cereals, pulses and legumes [22]. High levels of Pb in wheat (0.22-0.24 mg/kg) and barley (0.57 mg/kg) have been reported in other countries [16,23]. Rice-based products have been reported to contain high Pb at 0.363 mg/kg, and this has caused concern in children and infants who would consume the products at greater amount [24].…”

Locally Adapted and Organically Grown Landrace and Ancient Spring Cereals—A Unique Source of Minerals in the Human Diet

“…Due to the fact that cereals are a major part of the human diet, high content of minerals and especially of Zn and Fe in cereals has the potential to contribute substantially to human health and well-being [ 8 , 13 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Thus, minerals content in cereals and cereal-based food have been evaluated in a range of studies [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Furthermore, large international breeding programs, such as the CIMMYT spring wheat program, has focused on biofortification breeding to combine high yield and wide adaptation with high grain Zn content and processing quality [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

Evaluation of two sample preparation methods for the determination of cadmium, nickel and lead in natural foods by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

“…Research papers and international regulatory frameworks contain a number of methodologies for the determination of heavy metals in several matrices like water, soil, food, and others. (Bakkali et al, 2009;Brizio et al, 2016;Calle et al, 2017;Díaz et al, 2008;García-Rico & Jara-Marini 1996;Lozano Soldevilla, 2009;Ponce et al, 2006;Rubio et al, 2004;Ruiz Chaves, 2016;Silva Trejos, 2012). However, it is necessary to validate the performance of these techniques under specific conditions of equipment and existing infrastructure in local laboratories.…”