Probabilistic health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in the traditional and industrial olive products.

Abstract

Iran is recognized as one of the top olive producers globally, and it forms an integral part of the countries agriculture, particularly in Zanjan province. This study measured Hg, As, Pb, Cd, and Zn concentrations and evaluated probabilistic health risk in olive products. Results showed that Zn had the highest concentration (traditional and industrial table olive, Parvardeh, and olive oil: 4.912 ± 3.957 and 9.181 ± 6.385; 16.139 ± 6.986 and 18.330 ± 8.700; 41.385 ± 7.480 and 46.043 ± 15.773 μg g-1, respectively) compared to other potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Additionally, Cd in table olive (traditional: 0.137 ± 199 and industrial: 0.059 ± 0.041 μg g-1) and Parvardeh (traditional: 0.014 ± 0.009 and industrial: 0.019 ± 0.006 μg g-1), and As in olive oil (traditional: 0.025 ± 0.006 and industrial: 0.026 ± 0.009 μg g-1) had the lowest concentrations, respectively. As and Hg in table olive (0.224 ± 0.214 and 1.158 ± 0.974 μg g-1) and Hg in Parvardeh (0.210 ± 0.213 μg g-1) samples were significantly higher in traditional than industrial products (p < 0.05). Cd in Parvardeh (0.019 ± 0.006 μg g-1) and Zn in table olive (9.181 ± 6.385 μg g-1) samples were substantially more in industrial than traditional products (p < 0.05). Results suggest that industrially processed olive products are more likely to introduce higher levels of PTEs into the body. Nevertheless, based on the health risk assessment criteria, industrial products' hazard index (HI) values were lower than traditional types due to high Hg concentrations (HI = 0.01227 and 0.2708, respectively). Adults' total carcinogenic risk (TCR) in traditional olive products was higher than in industrial (sum TCR = 0.00016 and 0.00007, respectively). In conclusion, the results indicated that the consumption of olive products in the study area offered an increased non-carcinogenic and cancer risk to the population of this region owing to PTEs exposure, especially Hg.