COMPARATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT OF SOME TOXIC ELEMENTS’ CONTENTS IN DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED TOMATO PASTES AND KETCHUP IN NIGERIAN MARKETS

Abstract

Although tomato consumption, whether as tomato paste or tomato ketchup, offers several health advantages, the future prognostic indicators hypothesize the disappearance of these gains due to heavy metal poisoning. Therefore, using the Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES) technique, this study examined and compared the amounts of arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in locally produced and imported tomato pastes and ketchup sold in Nigerian markets. The mean concentrations of these targeted elements in tomato pastes and ketchup (in mg.kg-1) respectively are presented as follows: As (domestic & imported: < LOQ), Ni (domestic:0.308, 0.289; imported: 0.271, 0.267), Cd (domestic:0.088, 0.075; imported:0.078, 0.083), Pb (domestic: 0.121, 0.102; imported:0.128, 0.136) and Hg (domestic and imported: <LOD). As, Ni, and Cd contents in domestic and imported tomato pastes and ketchup samples and daily intake rates (DIR) were within acceptable levels recommended by regulatory agencies. Except when combined metals’ hazard quotients are considered, which may pose serious health concern, individual’s metal effect constitutes a negligible health risk.