Lead, cadmium and mercury determination and human health risk assessement in foods from Cyprus

Abstract

An accredited method using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was applied for the determination of lead, cadmium and mercury in food. Up to 96% of the samples were contaminated with at least one of the three metals. Concentrations ranged between 0.003 and 0.045 mg kg–1, 0.0007 and 0.38 mg kg–1, 0.002 and 0.32 mg kg–1 for lead, cadmium and mercury respectively. No health risk was concluded from the dietary exposure assessment to lead. Less than 1% of the Cyprus population was found to exceed the health-based guidance value (Tolerable Weekly Intake, TWI), as regards to mercury. However, 9 to 15% of the younger population in Cyprus exceeded the TWI for cadmium intake. Dietary exposure to heavy metals was found to be independent of the geographical area in Cyprus and gender. Exposure to lead was a result of the consumption of several food categories. Molluscs (21%) and potatoes (18%) were the highest contributors to cadmium intake. In the case of mercury, fish (25%), meat (21%) and milk (12%) contributed the most to the total exposure of the population in Cyprus.