Determination Of Heavy Metals Research Articles

Estimation of the level of anthropogenic impact based on the determination of radionuclides and heavy metals in sediments taken from Rybnik reservoir, Poland.

The aim of the study was to estimate the degree of anthropogenic risk by evaluating the level of the contamination of sediments collected from the Rybnik reservoir. The results of the determination of radionuclides (137Cs, 40K, 228Th, 228Ra, 226Ra, 210Pb, 238U) and heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni) were presented. The Rybnik reservoir is located in a highly urbanised area, the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. Radionuclides (137Cs, 40K, 228Th, 228Ra, 226Ra, 210Pb, 238U) were measured using gamma spectrometry. The heavy metal (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni and Cr) content was determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES). The classification of sediment pollution was made on the basis of geochemical and ecotoxicological indices. Radioactivity was varied with the highest for 40K (more than 200Bq·kg-1). The concentrations for the remaining radionuclides were mostly below 20Bq·kg-1. At the inlet zone (no. 9) an increase in radioactivity of each radioisotope was observed. The values of heavy metals from the lowest to the highest total amount in the sediments were as follows: Cd < Cr < Pb < Ni < Cu < Zn. The sediments of the reservoir are largely contaminated with Cu, but the sediments generally are contaminated to an average degree. Most pollutants accumulate in the inlet zone and near the dam wall. The content of artificial radionuclides, as well as the geochemical and ecological indicators used, can serve as an indicator of the level of anthropopressure in the vicinity of the Rybnik reservoir.

Determination of Heavy Metals in Indoor Dust in the Vicinity of Kota Thermal Power Plant under Meteorological Influence at an Industrial City

Nowadays, the assessment of indoor air quality becomes quite significant owing to the extensive residing time spent by people at work place or at office. Keeping this in mind, this study aims at determining concentrations of selected anthropogenic origin metals (Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn) and crustal origin metals (Ca and Fe) in 47 dust samples obtained from indoor environment of houses in the industrial Kota city, India in summer months (March, April and May, 2022) and October 2022 under meteorological influence. On looking at the comparative concentration of the studied anthropogenic origin metals (Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn) Zn is found to be in highest concentration followed by Pb, Cu and Cd respectively. During summer season, meteorological parameters such as speed and direction of wind, relative humidity, temperature have been observed which are found to affect the concentration of metals. The wind rose indicates the sampling sites facing predominant North wind direction (21.20%) from point source Kota Thermal Power Plant (KTPP) in summer were closest to the source and hence encountered the highest metal burden. It is inferred from Enrichment factor, Pearson’s correlations and principal component analysis that coal burning at Kota Thermal Power Plant is the major source of heavy metal burden accompanied by other anthropogenic actions in the study area.

Influence of high-molecular surfactants on the determination of heavy metals by stripping voltammetry

The effect of high-molecular surfactants on the analytical signal and the correctness of the determination of heavy metals were evaluated. It is shown that the presence of cationic and nonionic flocculants reduces the intensity of the analytical signal, while in the case of anionic the opposite situation is observed.It has been shown that the presence of high-molecular surfactants does not cause the occurrence of a systematic error in the determination of zinc, cadmium and lead.

Hydrogeochemical characterization and water quality evaluation for drinking and irrigation purposes of coastal aquifers of Middle Andaman

A comprehensive study to characterize the hydrogeochemistry of the region and the impact of saltwater intrusion on groundwater was conducted along the eastern coast of Middle Andaman of Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands. The escalating population growth and intensified tourism activities have resulted in the over-extraction of groundwater. Seismic activities led to the opening of lineaments to the sea and the dissolution of limestone in the influence of seawater. 24 groundwater samples and 1 reference sample from sea were taken from various locations of middle Andaman. The analysis involved the determination of major cations, anions, and heavy metals using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy (ICP), spectrophotometry, and flame photometry. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction analysis, binary diagrams, Chloro-alkaline indices (CAI), Gibbs Plot, correlation matrix, Piper plot, Chadha’s plot and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the major ions data indicated rock-water interactions, strong correlations among alkali and alkaline earth metals, and interactions between seawater and carbonate minerals respectively. The water quality index indicated “very poor to unsuitable for drinking purposes” in 24% of the samples. Additionally, indices for irrigation suitability; total hardness (TH), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), and Magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR) were found to be detrimental for irrigation in 80%, 08%, and 12% of the water samples, respectively. These results highlight the importance of implementing effective water resource management techniques, such as groundwater extraction rates, adopting appropriate water treatment technologies to mitigate the adverse impacts of heavy metals, saltwater intrusion and maintain water quality for human consumption and agricultural use in the region.

Determination Of Heavy Metals and Radon Concentration in Soil and Water Samples from Wadi-B Jere Oil Exploration Sites in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria

Radon gas and heavy metals are two significant risk factors that can cause lung cancer. Wadi B, a locality in Jere local government of Borno state, is an area where oil exploration is underway. There is a potential health risk of contamination of the drinking water and soil samples in the area. To investigate radon concentration and heavy metal contamination, several samples of water from wells and boreholes, as well as soil samples, were collected for analysis. The analysis was conducted using liquid scintillation (LSC) and atomic absorption spectrometry. The result of radioactivity analysis using LSC shows that water samples have varying levels of radon concentration ranging from 17.77 Bql-1 to 22.50Bql-1 which exceeded the maximum contaminant levels of 11.1Bq/L set by the USEPA 1999 and the world average value of 10Bq/L set by the World Health Organisation (WHO 2004). The mean annual effective cancer risk of radon intake varied across sampling points, ranging from 0.164, 0.246, 0.287 to 0.130, 0.218, and 0.227 for adults, children, and infants, respectively, with mean values of 0.146, 0.219, and 0.255. The mean values of excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) associated with radon inhalation and ingestion for adults, children, and infants were 0.0005110, 0.0007660, and 0.0008930, respectively. Moreover, elevated conductivity and total dissolved solids in water samples suggest potential contamination, exceeding the recommended limits set by the World Health Organization. On the other hand, Heavy metals analysis shows a mean value of ELCR 0.125009 for adults and 0.000063 for infants. Results showed that heavy metal concentrations in soil samples exceeded permissible limits for all metals except chromium and lead, with the order of concentration being Cr &lt; Cd &lt; Pb &lt; Cu &lt; Zn. These findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring and remediation efforts to mitigate environmental and health risks in Wadi B

Determination of Heavy Metals in the Hair of Some Occupational Workers in Some Local Government of Adamawa State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the heavy metals concentration in hair samples of occupational workers (mechanics, electricians, and welders) in the Mubi, Gombi, and Numan local government areas of Adamawa State. The hair sample was washed with non-ionic detergent and acetone to remove contamination and digested with 20cm3 of 3:1 mixture of concentrated nitric acid and perchloric acid. The sample was later analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry for the determination of heavy metals lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), Zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu). The results of this study show that heavy metals in hair samples from different subjects accumulate differently based on exposure. The concentrations of heavy metals in welder workers' hair are the highest values among other occupations (mechanics and electricians), except in Mubi where mechanics workers have the highest concentration. The levels of all the metals increase with respect to age except age 26 – 40 in Mubi which is even higher than the aged group 41 – 55. This research shows that there is a statistically significant relationship between the type of work or workplace and the heavy metal concentration detected in hair samples. There is an instantaneous need for public awareness about the hazards of this occupation to enable occupational workers to take necessary precautionary measures. Keywords: Heavy metals, Human hair, Occupational workers (welders, mechanics, and electricians)

A greener, rapid and accurate microwave-assisted hydrogen peroxide digestion method for ICP-OES determination of heavy metals in pet food samples

Microwave-assisted hydrogen peroxide digestion (MW-AHPD) method for determination of Cd, As, Pb, Sn, and Cr in South African pet food samples by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopic (ICP-OES) is reported. Multivariate tools and wheat flour certified reference material (FAP80467) assessed limiting factors and reproducibility of the methods respectively. The resulted optimum conditions were: 200 °C, 40 mins, 0.5 g, and 5 mol/L for temperature, time, sample mass and H2O2 concentration, respectively. The method demonstrated excellent accuracy (96–98%), reproducibility (≤ 2.1%) and high detection limits (0.0675–0.3765 µg/g). Then, real pet food samples made from maize, rice, vegetables, fish, and wheat were digested and concentration levels of Cd, Pb, As, Cr and Sn ranged between 11.2 and 22.6, 6.4–11.9, 3.44–13.4, 0.44–2.98 and 0.18–0.98 µg/g, respectively. The three metal ions were above the minimum tolerable limits (Cd: 10 µg/g, Pb:10 µg/g, As: 12.5 µg/g) for some of the fish and wheat based pet food according to the South African regulatory standard. Furthermore, using the AGREEPrep metric tool the method was assessed and had a score of 0.76, confirming its greenness. These findings present MW-AHPD method as an alternative for determination of heavy metals in pet food by ICP-OES.

Comparisons of Different Digestion Methods for Heavy Metal Analysis from Fruits

Fruit juices are produced in home or industrially from horticultural crops by pressing the liquid part. They are rich in sugar, vitamins, and minerals like iron, copper, potassium, folate minerals, and vitamins A, B, and C which are essential for giving the body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy since fruits contain vital mineral components like copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), which is necessary for human growth and respiration. However, they may have heavy metals which may poison health risk and toxic even the presence is in little amount. Since fruit juices doesn’t pass through different processes, except extracting the liquid from the fruits of vegetables contamination and heavy metals affect human health. Before determination of heavy metals different procedures are applied for analysis. Digestion is the key component for determination of heavy metals from different samples. In this paper we are concerned on wet digestion methods for analysis. Closed system wet digestion is preferred since it lower the risk of contamination. There are different wet digestion types. Some of them are conventional wet digestion, ultraviolet digestion, ultrasound-assisted acid decomposition, conventional heating, microwave-assisted wet digestion etc. From thus, microwave digestion procedure was preferred for the digestion of samples for determination of heavy metals due to its ability to oxidize almost all of the organic samples.

Proximate analysis, levels of trace heavy metals and associated human health risk assessments of Ethiopian white sugars

In this study, white sugar samples collected from five Ethiopian sugar manufacturing plants were analyzed for their proximate composition, and trace heavy metals level (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Zn, Cr, Cd, and Pb). Human health risk assessments associated with heavy metals exposure from white sugar ingestion were also assessed. Proximate analysis was conducted according to AOAC methods. For heavy metals determination, the sugar samples were digested using a mixture of HNO3, HClO4 and H2O2 (4:3:1) at 250 °C for 3 h prior to FAAS analysis. The measured mean values (%) of proximate parameters including moisture, ash, fiber, protein, fat and carbohydrate were found in the range of 0.07–0.61, 2.56–4.33, 0.06–0.24, 0.78–1.49, 1.16–1.89 and 92.13–95.03, respectively. The average concentration of heavy metals found in the sugar samples were ranged as 1.366–12.502, 0.107–0.268, 0.099–0.842, 0.458–1.000, 10.140–25.480, 0.053–0.322, 0.427–0.827 and 0.074–0.528 in mg/kg for Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, Zn, Cr, Cd and Pb, respectively. All the studied metals are below FAO/WHO permissible limit except Cd and Pb in Kessem, Fincha'a and Metahara samples. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) values are <1, indicating no non-carcinogenic risks of the heavy metals to an adult population via consumption of white sugar. However, the single element incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) occurrence is probable from Ni for samples obtained from Kessem sugar factory (ILCR>1.0 × 10−4). The cumulative ILCR of heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb) resulting from consumption of white sugar by an adult person reveal a potential adverse cancer risk (ILCR>1.0 × 10−4) for all the studied samples except for sugar samples obtained from Wonji sugar factory. Therefore, continuous monitoring of these toxic metals should be made mainly by sugar industries and responsible government regulatory bodies to avert heavy metal toxicity associated with white sugar consumption in Ethiopia.

Portable smartphone platform utilizing AIE-featured carbon dots for multivariate visual detection for Cu2+, Hg2+ and BSA in real samples

Heavy metals cause serious toxic threats to both environment and human health. The multivariate, instrument-free, portable, and rapid detection strategy is crucial for determination of heavy metals. Herein, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) featured carbon dots (SN-CDs) were fabricated hydrothermally by optimizing co-doping precursors. With bright yellow emission at 560 nm, the SN-CDs were utilized for multivariate sensing Cu2+, Hg2+ and bovine serum albumin (BSA) based on AIE behavior and static quenching effect, with detection limits of 0.46 μmol·L−1, 25.8 nmol·L−1 and 1.52 μmol·L−1. A portable smartphone platform was constructed to enable portable, prompt, and sensitive analysis for Cu2+, Hg2+, and BSA via different strategies in real water and food samples with satisfied recovery. Moreover, a logic gate circuit was designed to provide the possibilities for utilization of intelligent facility. The proposed AIE SN-CDs possessing great contribution in preferable sensing performance, present promising prospects in real-time monitoring of environment and food safety.

Heavy Metal Contamination of Gray Forest Soil in Oilseed Agrocenoses using Mineral Fertilizers

Background: The purpose of the research is to study the features of contamination of dark gray forest soils with heavy metals and to establish the yield of oil cabbage crops as a result of the use of various levels of mineral nutrition in the conditions of the Non-black earth zone of Russia. Methods: The experiments were carried out on the dark gray forest soils of Ryazan region in crops of spring rape, white mustard and gray mustard (Sarepta). Soil sampling to determine HMs was carried out before the experiment. Determination of heavy metals was carried out by atomic absorption spectrometry using a semi-quantitative spectral method on a spectrophotometer in the laboratory of the State Station of the Agrochemical Service “Ryazanskaya” and the laboratories of the university. Result: The studied types and combinations of mineral fertilizers had effect on the growth and development of plants. The effectiveness of the use of mineral nutrition doses proves its high efficiency in studies with oilseed crops in the conditions of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia. The highest yields, for spring rapeseed (19.3 dt ha-1), for gray mustard (13.7 dt ha-1) and white mustard (12.2 dt ha-1), were observed in the variants with the action of N90-120P60K60.

Quantitative Determination of Sulphur in Manikaran’s Water

As we know fresh water is a finite and limited resource on Earth and, increasingly is polluted, by both pathogenic microbes and chemical contaminants. Human demand for freshwater is increasing water is required to irrigate crops to feed the rapidly expanding human population. Our main focus during this work is to identify impurities present in Manikaran in terms of Analytical Chemistry which include Limit Tests of Heavy metals. Limit test is best method for detection of impurities present and determination of heavy metals. It is done for identify that the Manikaran water is safe for human use or not. After the completion of the work, it was found that use of water of these resources contains Sulphur as heavy metal.

Determination of Heavy Metals in Etroplus suratensis from Koggala Lagoon in Southern, Sri Lanka

Fish is one of the best organisms in many scientific studies to evaluate heavy metal pollution and human health hazards as they are well-understood organisms in the aquatic environment. The present study was carried out to examine the level of heavy metals in different tissues of Etroplus suratensis (Green chromide) in Koggala lagoon, Sri Lanka. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to determine the levels of copper (Cu2+), cadmium (Cd+3), lead (Pb+2) and Chromium (Cr+3) ions in the different tissues (skin, liver, gill, and flesh) of fish belonging to three different sizes; small (7.8-10.2) cm, medium (14.1-16.6) cm, and large (19.8-25.2) cm. The number of thirty-six fish were collected from the lagoon randomly. According to available sizes, 12 fish for each size class were used for the analysis. Furthermore, the histological analysis was carried out to identify the changes at the tissue levelling the gill and liver of fish in three different size classes. Heavy metal concentration in fish samples were compared with the standard levels of heavy metals. Heavy metal concentrations in body tissues of three different body sizes of fish were found to be mainly in the order of Cu&gt;Pb&gt;Cr&gt; Cd. The highest concentrations (P&lt;0.05) of heavy metals were found in the fish flesh and skin, while the lowest concentrations were found in the gills. The range of heavy metal concentrations (g g-1 dry weight) in body tissue of small size, E. suratensis fish were, Cu: 0.0443-0.6210, Cd: 0.0110–0.0214, Pb: Below Detection Level (BDL)- 0.46 and Cr: BDL-39.633, Medium size fish were, Cu: 0.0713–0.6210, Cd: 0.0134-0.0170, Pb: BDL-40.906, Cr: 0.0014–0.0500 and large fish were, Cu: 0.0553–0.345, Cd: 0.0110–0.0256, Pb: 0.0204–0.2103 and Cr: 0.0194–0.0773. However, Cd, Cr and Pb concentrations of flesh tissues were under the standard recommended limits referred by the FAO. Through the Cu concentration in flesh, tissues exceeded the standard limits of FAO. It is not considered as a toxic heavy metal. Histological analysis revealed that the deviation of shape of hepatic cells in the liver may due to the exposure to heavy metals in the lagoon. According to the overall result, biomagnification nature of heavy metals, and the consumption of E. suratensis in the Koggala the bioaccumulation and lagoon may create health hazards to consumers. &#x0D; Keywords: Green chromide, Koggala Lagoon, Heavy metals, Histology

Determination of heavy metals in edible oils by a novel voltammetry taste sensor array.

Herein, a novel voltammetry taste sensor array (VTSA) using pencil graphite electrode, screen-printed electrode, and glassy carbon electrode was used to identify heavy metals (HM) including Cad, Pb, Sn and Ni in soybean and rapeseed oils. HMs were added to edible oils at three concentrations of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.25ppm, and then, the output of the device was classified using a chemometric classification method. According to the principal component analysis results, PG electrode explains 96% and 81% of the variance between the data in rapeseed and soybean edible oils, respectively. Additionally, the SP electrode explains 91% of the variance between the data in rapeseed and soybean oils. Moreover, the GC electrode explains 100% and 99% of the variance between the data in rapeseed and soybean edible oils, respectively. K-nearest neighbor exhibited high capability in classifying HMs in edible oils. In addition, partial least squares in the combine of VTSA shows a predict 99% in rapeseed oil. The best electrode for soybean edible oil was GC.

A honeycomb-like micro-needle sensor with gold nanoparticles embedded for the determination of hexavalent chromium in seawater

As one of the most toxic heavy metals, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a typical environmental pollutant that directly affects human health. In this work, a novel micro-needle sensor with honeycomb-like structure and embedded gold nanoparticles was proposed for the stable and sensitive determination of Cr(VI). The honeycomb-like structure provided larger specific surface area to support more gold nanoparticles which exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards the electrochemical reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(Ⅲ). In addition, gold nanoparticles were embedded into the holes of the honeycomb-like structure, which can effectively prevent them from falling off from the electrode surface due to the protection of the holes. Combining the honeycomb-like structure of micro-needle electrode with the excellent catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles, the fabricated sensor exhibited outstanding stability and sensitivity for the cathodic stripping determination of Cr(VI). A linear range of Cr(VI) from 0.5 to 300 μmol/L was obtained, with the detection limit of 0.15 μmol/L. The recovery of the sensor for the determination of hexavalent chromium in seawater samples was also investigated. Moreover, the sensor might be further adapted for the determination of other heavy metals with different nanoparticles embedded.

Application of Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide-Persimmon Tannin Nanocomposites for Electrochemical Detection of Cd (II) in Water Resources

An ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for the detection of Cadmium (Cd(II)) was successfully constructed based on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide-persimmon tannin (PT-N-RGO) nanocomposite and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) modified screen-printed electrode (SPE). The structure and morphology of the prepared PT-N-RGO nanocomposite were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Each step for the electrochemical biosensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Au NPs, as modified electrode material, not only increased the effective surface area of the electrode, but also promoted the electron transfer during the redox reaction. The PT-N-RGO further increased the electron transfer rate, thereby improving the conductivity of the electrode and providing more binding sites for the subsequent capture of Cd (II). The biosensor showed good selectivity, stability and reproducibility for the determination of Cd (II). Also, the biosensor was applied to the analysis of real water samples and satisfactory results were obtained, which were verified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This study provided a new idea for the effective determination of trace heavy metals in the environment.

Development of a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure based on a natural deep eutectic solvent for ligand-less preconcentration and determination of heavy metals from water and food samples

In the current study, a ligand-less dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction technique assisted ultrasound and vortex equipment (DLLME-A-US-V) procedure was used for the simultaneous preconcentration and extraction of heavy metal ions. The proposed method was done by a natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for the extraction of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury ions without a complexing agent. The natural deep eutectic solvent was prepared from l-menthol (M) and salicylic acid (SA). The precursor of deep eutectic solvents strongly affects the extraction of metal ions. Among the studied solvents, hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents showed the highest extraction recovery. Under optimal experimental conditions, the method linearity, limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), relative standard deviations (RSD %), enrichment factors (EF), and extraction recovery (% ER) were equal to 0.005–14 µg/L, 0.0043–0.0088 µg/L, 0.0143–0.0294 µg/L, 1.66–2.83 %, 112–120, and 90–96 %, respectively. The obtained coefficients of determination (r2) were also higher than 0.991. This method was successfully applied to determine some heavy metals in food samples in the ultra-trace range with the recovery values of real samples being 93–108 %.

Determination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in chicken meat and edible giblets in Tehran, Iran

BackgroundHeavy metals are considered significant threats to public health, and they can accumulate in different parts of chickens, which are popular and affordable protein sources for the Iranian people. ObjectiveThe present study aimed to determine the concentration of seven heavy metals, encompassing arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), in 150 samples of chicken meat, liver, and gizzard in Tehran, Iran, using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Furthermore, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with consuming these metals in chicken tissue were assessed. Results: The mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, As, Ni, Cu, Fe, and Zn in the meat were 0.03, 0.008, 0.007, 0.008, 0.49, 6.15, 4.2 mg.kg−1, in the liver, 0.03, 0.058, 0.011, 0.028, 4.81, 120.02, 17.95 mg.kg−1, and in the gizzard, 0.019, 0.018, 0.0072, 0.011, 1.22, 24.25, 14.36 mg.kg−1, respectively. The highest metal contents were found in the liver. The lowest amounts of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn were found in the meat, and the minimum contents of Pb were detected in the gizzard. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) values in 100 % of cases were less than one and at an acceptable level. In 54 % of cases, cancer risk (CR) values were higher than 10−4 and unacceptable. ConclusionsChicken consumption by adults and children may pose a significant health risk, and heavy metal monitoring in other protein sources is necessary for human safety.

Levels and Health Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals in Khat and Its Support Soil in Algesachi, Ilu Ababor, Ethiopia.

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) is a stimulant plant grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Heavy metal pollution has been a global concern due to its acute and chronic health effects and the major route of exposure is the consumption of contaminated foods. In this study, the determination and health risk assessment of heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, and Pb) in khat and its support soil samples was carried out. Khat and its support soil were analyzed for the levels of 7 toxic heavy metals by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Samples were randomly collected from 3 districts of khat farming kebeles and digested using mixture of strong acids. The concentrations (mg/kg) of analytes in soil and khat samples were: Cu (6.78-35.80); Zn (24.30-199.02); Mn (7.59-1855.40); Ni (6.37-64.80); Cr (0.82-169.20); Cd (14.2-38.8), and Pb (ND). Among the analyzed heavy metals in soil, Mn was with the highest concentration, followed by Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Cd while that of Zn was the maximum followed by Cu, Mn, and Cr in khat. The levels of Zn, Cr, and Cd in soil samples from all study sites and detected concentrations of Cr in khat samples exceeded the recommended FAO/WHO levels. The hazard index (HI) of metals in khat from study areas was less than 1 indicating a less likelihood of non-carcinogenic toxicological health effects. However, the presence of these toxic chemicals in soil and khat indicates product contamination and needs extensive further investigation involving other heavy metals.

Investigation of heavy metal concentrations and determination of estimated daily intake and health risk index infant formula and baby foods in Zahedan in 2020

Investigation of heavy metal concentrations and determination of estimated daily intake and health risk index infant formula and baby foods in Zahedan in 2020