Levels, dietary intake, and health risk of potentially toxic metals in vegetables, fruits, and cereal crops in Pakistan

Abstract

Food safety is a major concern worldwide and human beings are frequently exposed to potentially toxic metals (PTMs) through consumption of vegetables, fruits, and cereal crops grown in contaminated areas. The present study investigates the concentrations of PTMs such as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in the foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, and cereals) collected from different markets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Samples of fruits (banana, tangerine, apple, and guava), vegetables (tomato, onion, potato, pea, and lady finger), and cereals (rice, kidney beans, and chick peas) were acid-extracted and analyzed using ICP-MS. The concentrations of Cr, Zn, Pb, As, and Cd in fruits (54, 50, 50, 45, and 4% samples, respectively), vegetables (53, 43, 63, 80, and 46%), and cereals (37, 62, 25, 70, and 25%) exceeded their respective permissible limits set by FAO/WHO (2001). The results showed that the highest mean concentration was observed for Ni (14.95 mg/kg), Pb (0.57 mg/kg), and Cd (0.27 mg/kg) in vegetables followed by fruits and cereals. However, the highest mean concentration of As (0.44 mg/kg) was observed in cereal crops followed by vegetables and fruits. The individual health risk of PTMs via consumption of fruits, vegetables, and cereals were found within safe limits for adults and children. Nevertheless, the total HRI values (fruits + vegetables + cereals) for Ni, As, and Cd for both adults and children were observed > 1 and may posed potential risk for the community consuming these foodstuffs on a daily basis. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Health Risks due to Consumption of <i>Malus domestica</i> Golden Delicious Containing Heavy Metals

“…The average concentration of Cd found in apple samples (Table 4) was <0.03 mg/kg, which is below the permissible limit (0.1 mg/kg) established by [38]. In this study, the Cd concentration was lower than the concentrations reported by [9] [37] in apple samples from Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, respectively. Cd is a heavy metal classified [8] as carcinogenic to humans, it is highly persistent and toxic, present in low concentrations in the environment, predominating in associations with Zn, Pb and Cu, it accumulates especially in kidneys and liver affecting human health through sources of occupational and environmental exposure [39].…”

“…In our study, all concentrations of heavy metals analyzed in the samples of apples collected in the study area were within the permissible limits established [38], in turn, these concentrations were several times lower than the concentrations reported for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively [9] [10] [16] [34]. With regard to the presence of metal in food crops, Mapanda and collaborators [42] reports that a higher heavy metal concentration in soil corresponds in a greater probability that a given metal is present in the crops and its concentration in the food will depend on the soil, the degree of air pollution and the capacity of crop absorption, among other factors [28] Table 4.…”

“…Average Cu concentration (0.06 mg/kg) obtained in this study (Table 4) showed a value below the permissible limit (73 mg/kg) established by [38]. In our study, the concentration of Cu in apples coincides in order of magnitude with that reported by [12] in samples of apples collected in Pakistan, this concentration being lower than that reported by [10] (Table 4) was below the permissible limit (67 mg/kg) [38], this value is slightly higher (0.06 mg/Kg) than reported in samples of apples grown in China [11] and lower than that reported in samples of apples collected in different sites in Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, respectively [9] (Table 4). About health effects, exposure to Ni has been reported to cause skin allergies, pulmonary fibrosis, cytotoxicity, iatrogenic nickel poisoning and cancer of the respiratory tract, lung cancer and nasal cancer [41].…”

“…[13]. Reported Pb concentrations in samples of apples from Egypt, Nigeria, Turkey and Pakistan[9] [10] [15] [16] [34] [35]…”

Comprehensive Evaluation of Some Toxic Metals in the Surface Water of Louhajang River, Bangladesh

“…Arsenic is called "soft poison" or "death metal" since it gradually kills people after entering the human body (Nawab et al 2018). As shown in Table 2, the mean As concentrations in winter (6.83 μg/L) and summer (4.88 μg/L) did not exceed all recommended standards for drinking, aquatic life, and irrigation purposes.…”