Abstract
Some commonly consumed differently packaged soft drinks were investigated for their levels of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn. This was done in order to evaluate the effect of container materials on the levels of potentially toxic metals in the drinks and the health related short and long-term implications of regular consumption of these products. Batches of differently packaged soft drinks (in glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles) in Nigeria were purchased from wholesale stores in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to quantify the total amount of metals in the acid digested samples. The study revealed that most of the analyzed potentially toxic metals were at concentrations above the recommended WHO and USEPA permissible limits. The effect of packaging materials on the concentration of some of the analyzed metals in the soft drinks was significant at 95% confident level. From the results of this study, it could be concluded that caution should be exercised regarding regular and consistent consumption of these soft drinks as such habit might constitute a significant source of exposure to potentially toxic metals.
Highlights
Several synthetic beverages are consumed in Nigeria irrespective of age, sex, religion and socioeconomic status
Batches of differently packaged soft drinks commonly consumed in Nigeria were purchased from wholesale stores and outlets in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
This study revealed that most of the soft drinks commonly consumed are a potential source of potentially toxic metals
Summary
Several synthetic beverages are consumed in Nigeria irrespective of age, sex, religion and socioeconomic status. Soft drinks are highly valued, tasty drinks and usually have exceptional nutritional qualities They can, be a potential source of toxic elements, some of which have an accumulative effect or cause nutritional problems because of low concentrations of essential elements, justifying the regulation of mineral composition in drinks [1]. Several studies from the laboratory have demonstrated that reactive oxygen species production and oxidative stress play an important role in the toxicity and carcinogenicity of metals such as As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Hg [4]. Due to their high degree of toxicity, these five elements are among the most important metals of great importance for public health
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