Determination of lead and cadmium in fruit juice: occurrence and risk characterisation in Iranian population

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the present study, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were monitored in different juice samples including orange, grape, apple and multi-fruit juices collected from Zanjan, Iran. The collected fruit juice samples were digested by using a microwave digestion system and their metals content was determined under graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). In addition, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk resulting from Cd and Pb entered through fruit juice consumption were evaluated. Cd and Pb were detected in more than 41% and 80% of analysed fruit juices. The highest concentration of Pb and Cd was observed in orange juice (99 and 9.4 µg/l). Furthermore, incidence of Pb and Cd in 58.9% and 4.9% of fruit juices were higher than the established Codex maximum permissible level. The data showed that total hazard quotients (THQ) for Pb and Cd metals in fruit juices were less than 1 in adults and children, meaning that no major non-carcinogenic risk is resulted from consumption of fruit juice samples. In Cd, the highest calculated CR at the 95th percentile for carcinogenic risk was 1.47 × 10−5 (multi-fruits for children) and 1.43 × 10−5 (orange juice for children) as determined by Monte Carlo simulation model. In addition, for the carcinogenic risk of Pb in adults and children, the safest risk value (≤10−6) was indicated. The calculated CR of Cd and Pb in juices for adults and children was lower than the permissible carcinogenic risk value set by USEPA (1 × 10−5). Based on the results, fruit juices are not the major source of Cd and Pb intake by Iranian consumers.