Abstract
The present study was conducted to quantify the daily intake and target hazard quotient of four essential elements, namely, chromium, cobalt, nickel, and copper, and four toxic trace elements, mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Thirty food items were assigned to five food categories (seeds, leaves, powders, beans, and fruits) and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Factor analysis after principal component extraction revealed common metal patterns in all foodstuffs, and using hierarchical cluster analysis, an association map was created to illustrate their similarity. The results indicate that the internationally recommended dietary allowance was exceeded for Cu and Cr in 27 and 29 foodstuffs, respectively. According to the tolerable upper level for Ni and Cu, everyday consumption of these elements through repeated consumption of seeds (fennel, opium poppy, and cannabis) and fruits (almond) can have adverse health effects. Moreover, a robust correlation between Cu and As (p < 0.001) was established when all samples were analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated an association between Pb, As, Co, and Ni in one group and Cr, Cu, Hg, and Cd in a second group, comprising 56.85% of the total variance. For all elements investigated, the cancer risk index was within safe limits, highlighting that lifetime consumption does not increase the risk of carcinogens.
Highlights
Trace elements (TE) bioaccumulation in plants is often associated with food supply chains
Each sample was measured in six replicates and compared with the certified reference materials (CRM-NCS ZC85006, CRM-BOVM1, and CRM-IAEA359) to evaluate the accuracy of the method for spice analysis
We evaluated the carcinogenic risk associated with exposure to a mixture of carcinogens by calculating the total carcinogenic risk (TCR) as the sum of the individual cancer risk (CR) for As, Cd, Hg, and Pb
Summary
Trace elements (TE) bioaccumulation in plants is often associated with food supply chains. The use of aromatic spices is markedly increasing in most regions of the world [1]. The popularity of aromatic products in the European market is rising, and a recently growing demand for spices has been observed around the world [3]. In addition to culinary purposes to improve the color, aroma, palatability, and acceptability of food, spices are used in folk medicine as antiscorbutic, antispasmodic, tonic, and carminative agents to treat bronchitis ulcers, and as diuretics, depuratives, and vermifuges. Spices contain nutrients and bioactive compounds that positively influence organism functioning, such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds (flavonoids, tannins, and flavones), and may play a beneficial role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases [9]
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