scholarly journals Concentrations of Some Trace Elements in Vegetables Sold at Maun Market, Botswana

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keagile Bati ◽  
Oarabile Mogobe ◽  
Wellington R. L. Masamba

Contamination of vegetables with toxic metals is one of the most important contributing factors to ill health throughout the world, more so because vegetables are considered essential for human health and their consumption is highly recommended by health authorities. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of selected essential elements (Fe, Cu, Mn, Mo, Zn) and toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Pb) in common vegetables sold for human consumption in supermarkets and open market of Maun village, Botswana. Five vegetables (cabbage, rape, tomatoes, onions and potatoes) were purchased from different selling points, washed with de-ionised water, cut into small pieces and digested with aqua regia on a block digester, following the US. EPA method 200 - 7 and analysed for metal content using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The results showed that concentrations of essential and toxic metals varied with the type of vegetable and also with the market category (supermarket or street vendor). The highest concentration of essential elements was obtained from cabbage with a Zn concentration of 135.4mg/Kg and the lowest was from onion with a Mo concentration of 1.35mg/Kg. For toxic elements the highest concentration was obtained from rape vegetable with a Pb concentration of 4.73mg/Kg and the lowest from the same vegetable with Cr concentration below the detection limit. Also observed was that leafy vegetables, especially cabbage, had the highest concentrations of most trace metals. It was concluded that vegetables sold in Maun had sufficient levels of essential elements but also some had high concentrations of toxic metals. We thus recommend consumption of vegetables from the studied markets with reduced frequency to avoid metal poisoning.

2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 1950-1955
Author(s):  
SORAYA PAZ ◽  
ARTURO HARDISSON ◽  
NAZARET GUERRA ◽  
ANGEL J. GUTIÉRREZ ◽  
DAILOS GONZÁLEZ-WELLER ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cheeses are an important source of essential elements. Nevertheless, the level of some metals could pose a health risk. Therefore, the concentration of trace elements and toxic metals (Cr, Cu, Li, Ni, Sr, Pb, Cd, and Al) has been determined in artisanal cheeses from different geographical locations, and the intake of these metals from cheese consumption has been evaluated. The metal concentration was determined in a total of 90 cheese samples from different locations by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The highest concentration of Al (35.1 ± 4.42 mg/kg, wet weight) was found in artisanal cheeses from Zamora (Spain), followed by Sr (6.85 ± 0.35 mg/kg, wet weight) in artisanal cheeses from Cadiz (Spain). A daily consumption of 23.2 g of cheese provides a significant dietary contribution for Al of 0.82% of its tolerable weekly intake of 1 mg/kg of body weight per week. Canary Islands cheeses have a higher metal content than the non-Canary cheese, which could be because of the volcanic characteristics of the island soils. The intake of toxic metals and trace elements poses no risk to the health of adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majed Alrobaian ◽  
Hassan Arida

Epidemiological studies on the heavy and toxic metal content in the human blood and hair of some smokers from Saudi Arabia were carried out by modern analytical techniques. The levels of some selected heavy and toxic metals (e.g.; Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Se, Mn, Zn, Ni, and Cr) were determined using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). Prior to the analysis, the blood and hair samples of Saudi Arabia smokers were collected, treated, and digested by microwave digestion system. The number of cigarettes per day as well as the smoking period was taken in consideration in this study. The tested elements concentrations in the investigated smoker blood and hair samples were compared with those obtained from some nonsmoking control samples. The samples were collected from the psychiatric hospital in Taif city after issuing the ethical committee license in this regard. The results obtained from this study represent a very important guide for the antismoking organizations. The assessment of some side effects of the smoking in such studies presents vital challenge for the social antismoking authorities and the stakeholder governments to attain the sustainable investment for their people.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Raknuzzaman ◽  
Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun

Purpose: We aimed to determine the amount of some toxic elements in three organs of Hilsa shad, focusing on the possible exposure to human health through Hilsa consumption. This study was designed to determine the concentration of seven toxic trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in three distinct organs (n = 21) (muscle, liver, and gills) of Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) fish collected from the Bangladeshi coastal area. The samples were digested following a microwave digestion. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer was used as analytical instrument. Estimated daily intakes (EDI) and target cancer risk (TR) were used to evaluate carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk. Results: The mean concentrations (mg/kg-wet weight) of toxic elements in different organs of T. ilisha were determined as follows: in muscle, As (4.05), Cd (0.09), Cr (0.12), Cu (0.77), Ni (0.26), Pb (0.20), and Zn (10.64); in liver, As (2.83), Cd (0.84), Cr (0.18), Cu (6.17), Ni (0.55), Pb (0.23), and Zn (30.16) and in gills, As (3.45), Cd (0.05), Cr (0.08), Cu (1.06), Ni (0.51), Pb (0.78), and Zn (35.21). The liver showed higher concentrations of most elements than that of muscle except for As. Concentration of As, Cd, and Pb in the fish were found above the food safety guidelines, while other trace element concentrations were below the permissible range for human consumption. According to EDI and TR values, there were carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from exposure to total As concentration from Hilsa fish consumption. Conclusion: This study suggests that the toxic trace elements contamination levels in Hilsa fish from Bangladesh’s coastal area need to be monitored on a systematic and regular basis to ensure the safety of this food item for human consumption.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwyneth A. MacMillan ◽  
Marc Amyot ◽  
Pierre-Yves Daoust ◽  
Mélanie Lemire

ABSTRACTWe measured baseline levels of 19 trace element and mercury speciation for grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL), Québec, Canada. With interest growing in commercializing grey seal products for human consumption in this region, the goal of this study was to measure essential and non-essential trace elements in grey seals to evaluate health concerns and nutritional benefits. From 2015 to 2019, 120 grey seals were sampled by hunters and researchers at 4 sites in the GSL. Muscle, liver, heart and kidney samples were analyzed for 10 non-essential elements (Sb, As, Be, B, Cd, Pb, Hg, Ni, Tl, Sn) and 9 essential elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Se, Zn). Both total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were analysed for a subset of samples. Many elements were undetected in liver (Sb, As, Be, B, Cr, Co, Pb, Ni, Tl, Sn) and muscle tissues (same, plus Cd, Mn, Mo). Results showed lower element concentrations in the muscle (Fe, Mg, Se) and livers (Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Mo, Se) of young-of-the-year harvested in the winter (< 6 weeks old) compared to older animals feeding at sea. For older seals (∼ 5 months to 29 years), we did not observe progressive age-dependent bioaccumulation. Sex-specific differences were not very pronounced, but a few elements were 30 - 70% higher in the muscle (THg, MeHg) and liver (Mn, Zn) of male seals. Comparison to Canadian dietary reference intakes shows that a weekly portion of liver from young-of-the-year (< 6 weeks old) is a good source of essential elements (Cu, Fe) and that muscle and liver from this age category does not exceed reference values for toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb, MeHg). Ongoing discussions with regional public health professionals will help to develop dietary recommendations for the consumption of older grey seals.HIGHLIGHTSWe measured baseline levels of 19 trace elements in grey seals harvested from the Gulf of St. Lawrence.We evaluated nutritional benefits and health concerns of human consumption of grey seal products.Once seals began feeding at sea (∼ 5 mo), many element concentrations increased, but did not bioaccumulate progressively with age afterwards.Some elements were more concentrated in the muscle (mercury) and livers (manganese, zinc) of male seals.Young seal (< 6 we) livers are a good dietary sources of copper and iron, while its muscle and liver were below reference values for toxic elements.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (10) ◽  
pp. 1622-1626 ◽  
Author(s):  
ENRIQUE LOZANO-BILBAO ◽  
SONGLIAN MÉNDEZ ◽  
GONZALO LOZANO ◽  
ARTURO HARDISSON ◽  
DAILOS GONZÁLEZ-WELLER ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The study has been conducted with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry to determine the content of toxic heavy metals, macroelements, and essential elements in two species of bivalves of commercial interest in the Canary Islands: the Mediterranean mussel (Mytillus galloprovincialis, Lamarck 1819) and the razor clam (Ensis directus, Conrad 1883). The study included 40 samples corresponding to 20 specimens of each species acquired from fishmongers on the island of Tenerife. E. directus had higher levels of metals, except for B, Cd, Na, and Zn (0.98, 0.02, 2,006.93, and 15.07 mg/kg, respectively) compared with those in M. galloprovincialis, B, Cd, Na, and Zn (2.67, 0.12, 2,267.7, and 22.27 mg/kg, respectively). In both bivalve molluscs, the maximum limits established by European legislation on food for human consumption were not exceeded. Likewise, the estimated daily intakes for the toxic metals Pb and Cd were below the admissible daily intakes.


Author(s):  
Rubio Carmen ◽  
Paz Soraya ◽  
Angel J. Gutiérrez ◽  
González-Weller Dailos ◽  
Martín Raquel ◽  
...  

Plant-based beverages have been positioned as an alternative to cow's milk. One of the most consumed plant-based beverages are those made with soybeans. Soybean beverages may be an important source of essential elements. However, the soybean plant is exposed to high amounts of contaminants from the soil and the environment, such as toxic metals. For this reason, the objective of this study is to determine the content of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Fe, Cu, Cr, Co, Mn, Mo, Zn, B, Ba, Ni , Li, Sr, V, Al, Cd, Pb) in order to evaluate the human exposure and the toxic risk from the consumption of these products. A total of 40 samples of different brands of soybean beverages were analyzed by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy). The most notable PTEs is Al (3.93 mg/L), followed by Fe (1.91 mg/L) and Ba (0.69 mg/L). Considering a mean consumption of two serving per day (250 mL/serving), soybean beverages would contribute to the dietary intake of essential elements such as Fe and Mn. This consumption would mean considerable percentages of contribution to the maximum intakes of Al and Pb, which do not exceed the maximum values ​​indicated, but in cases of higher consumption these values could be exceeded with the consequent risk to public health.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Robert A. Yokel ◽  
Sarah E. Seger ◽  
Jason M. Unrine

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that commonly administered pediatric oral medications are a significant source of toxic elements. The concentrations of 16 elements were determined in 14 frequently used pediatric oral medications. METHODS Samples were prepared for analysis by dilution or nitric acid microwave-assisted digestion and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The intake of each element from administration for 1 week of the medication's maximum recommended daily dose to 6-month-olds was calculated and compared to an exposure guideline for that element. Exposure guidelines used for adverse effects were minimal risk levels, oral reference dose, permissible or permitted daily exposure, provisional tolerable weekly intake, and tolerable upper intake concentrations. Exposure guidelines utilized for desired effect were adequate intake and recommended dietary allowance. RESULTS Intake of the maximum recommended daily dose by 6-month-olds for 1 week would not deliver more than the exposure guideline of any of the elements, with the exceptions of chromium in several medications and zinc in the pediatric electrolyte solution, if it was consumed for 1 week. CONCLUSIONS Consumed alone, these frequently administered pediatric oral medications would not deliver amounts of toxic elements that exceed established exposure guidelines for adverse effects, nor would most significantly contribute to adequate intake of essential elements.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuad A. Ababneh

54 samples belonging to 23 herbal species (15 individuals and 8 mixtures) were analyzed for their contents of heavy metals in the raw materials and in their water infusions. Trace and toxic elements in these samples were determined by using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) following acid digestion. The order of decreasing mean metal concentrations in raw materials (mg/kg) was found to be as follows: Fe (440) > Mn (162) > Zn (45.8) > Cu (12) > Pb (10.4) > Ni (5.4) > Cr (2.9) > Co (0.91) > Cd (0.5). It was found that 21% of the analyzed samples contain both Cd and Pb above their permissible limits. However, the infusions produced from these plants were found to contain fewer amounts of metals than the raw materials. Studied metals had the following mass transfer percentages to the infusion solutions (Fe: 3.5%, Cd: 14%, Cr: 15%, Pb: 20%, Co: 29%, Ni: 31%, Zn: 36%, Cu: 48%, and Mn: 53%). The estimated daily intake calculated for the toxic elements Pb and Cd through the consumption of herbal infusions was far below the tolerable daily intake set by the World Health Organization (WHO).


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 2102-2113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Moreira Freire ◽  
Vivian da Silva Santos ◽  
Pericles de Carvalho Ferreira Neves ◽  
Juliana Maria Oliveira Souza Reis ◽  
Samuel Simião de Souza ◽  
...  

Toxic elements, essential elements and other elements were determined in Brazilian rice by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A method for As speciation using hydride generation was developed and applied in rice samples.


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