Determination and Evaluation of Lead Migration for Foods Prepared in Clay Pots

Abstract

This work presents a study to evaluate the migration of lead to cooked foods prepared in clay pots produced in a small community in Brazil. Clay pots produced in Maragogipinho, Bahia, Brazil, go through an artisanal vitrification process by the addition of lead oxide to improve the visual appearance of the pot. To evaluate the migration of the lead to the food, samples of a fish-based delicacy (fish stew), with and without palm oil and coconut milk, were taken at different moments of contact with the clay container after cooking. Determination of lead concentrations was performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and the concentrations found were higher than 2.0 mg kg−1, which is the value regulated by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency. In addition, the highest concentrations of lead were detected in samples with a longer contact time with the pan. The longer the contact time was, the higher the lead content that migrated to the food. These results suggest that cooking and storing foods in the glazed clay pots pose a potential risk of lead contamination.