Dietary exposure to antimony,lead and mercury of secondary school students in Hong Kong

The aim of this first study was to determine the dietary exposure of antimony, lead, mercury in foodstuffs consumed by secondary school students in Hong Kong. Around 100 composite food items were purchased and then cooked prior to analysis. Antimony was measured by hydrogen generation (HG)/inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), while lead was determined by ICP–MS. Total mercury was measured by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits for antimony, lead and total mercury were 1, 0.6 and 3 µg kg^?1, respectively. The dietary intake of antimony, lead and total mercury for an average secondary student were estimated to be 0.252, 1.98 and 0.92 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, respectively. The dietary intake of antimony, lead and total mercury for high-consumer secondary student were estimated to be 0.567, 5.09 and 2.33 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, respectively. The main contribution to antimony, lead and mercury were milk, vegetables and seafood, respectively. The Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of antimony, as recommended by WHO, is 6 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, while the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes (PTWI) of lead and mercury, as recommended by JECFA, are 25 and 5 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, respectively. The estimated exposure values for secondary school students were compared to these safety reference values. For the relevant population, this study confirms the low probability of health risks from these metals via food consumption.     

Levels of lead,arsenic, mercury and cadmium in clays for oral use on the Dutch market and estimation of associated risks

Pregnant women in Africa, Asia and Suriname, and some immigrants in Western societies, traditionally consume clay products known by a variety of names such as mabele, calabash chalk, sikor and pimba. Furthermore, clay is used for health purposes in Western societies. Because certain clays can contain high levels of metals and metalloids, the aim of this study was to determine lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium in clay products for oral use available on the Dutch market. Traditional clays originating from Africa (n = 10) and Suriname (n = 26), and health clays (n = 27) were sampled from 2004 up to and including 2012. Total metal and metalloid contents were measured by ICP-MS and showed maximum levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium of 99.7, 45.1, 2.2 and 0.75 mg kg^–1, respectively. In the absence of maximum limits for these type of clays, the potential exposure was estimated from the determined concentration, the estimated daily use level of the clays, and the estimated bioaccessibility of the different metals and arsenic. The intake estimates were compared with existing health-based guidance values. For lead, the use of 34 of the 36 traditional clays and two of the 27 health clays would result in intake levels exceeding the toxicological limit by up to 20-fold. Use of 15 of the 35 traditional clays and 11 of the 27 health clays would result in intake levels exceeding the toxicological limit for inorganic arsenic by up to 19-fold. Although limited bioaccessibility from the clay may limit the exposure and exceedance of the health-based guidance values, it was concluded that lead and arsenic intakes from some clay products could be of concern also because of their use by pregnant women and the potential developmental toxicity. As a result the use of these products, especially by pregnant women, should be discouraged.     

Estimation of methylmercury intake from the 2007 Chinese Total Diet Study

Methylmercury intake for adult males of twelve provinces in China was estimated by means of the 2007 Chinese Total Diet Study. Methylmercury levels were measured in twelve food groups of each province of four regions and was only found in the aquatic food groups. The range for methylmercury contents of aquatic foods was 3.29–31.60?µg?kg^?1, being 50–87% of total mercury. Methylmercury intakes from aquatic foods for adult males of twelve provinces ranged from 0.003 to 0.138?µg?kg^?1?bw?week^?1 with average of 0.041?µg?kg^?1?bw?week^?1, which were estimated according to methylmercury contents and corresponding aquatic food consumption. Methylmercury intakes for the Chinese population were far below the corresponding provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), which was established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Consequently, there was little health risk from methylmercury exposure for the average Chinese population.     

Patulin in apple juices: Incidence and likely intake in an Indian population

The quality and safety of Ayurvedic formulations has become a serious issue, as this Indian system of medicine is used by 80% of the Indian population. Hence, the present study was performed to evaluate heavy metals contents by flame atomic absorbance spectroscopy (AAS) measurements and confirmation by inductive coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). A total of 78 formulations (56 herbal, 19 herbometallic and 3 metallic) were sampled. In herbal formulations, lead in 19.6% (11/56), cadmium in 21.4% (12/56), mercury and arsenic in 5.3% (3/56) were above the limit. Lead in 52.6% (10/19) of samples, cadmium in 26.3% (5/19) and mercury and arsenic contained in one herbometallic sample was above the limit. Heavy metals in all metal formulations were above the WHO limit. Significant batch variation was observed. The analytical results of flame AAS and ICP-MS did not differ significantly in the range of measurements in this study, which proves that both methods are satisfactory for estimation of heavy metals in these type of samples.     

Total mercury in milled rice and brown rice from China and health risk evaluation

Total mercury (THg) levels in 440 pairs of milled rice samples and brown rice samples from 15 major rice grain-producing provinces of China were measured and the associated health risk via rice consumption for different age categories of Chinese population was also assessed. THg contents were measured by a direct mercury analyser and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.5 μg kg^?1. The THg levels for milled rice samples and brown rice samples varied from non-detected to 17.8 μg kg^?1 and 1.5 to 25.4 μg kg^?1, respectively, with a mean level of 3.4 μg kg^?1 and 4.9 μg kg^?1, respectively. The THg levels in all milled and brown rice samples were generally low, except three brown rice samples having concentrations above the legally set value for cereals (20 μg kg^?1 Hg). THg intakes for different age categories were estimated according to THg content and corresponding rice consumption and the associated health risk was evaluated by the corresponding provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for THg (5.0 μg kg^?1 bw week^?1), which was established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The 50th percentile of the THg intakes via milled rice and brown rice consumption for different age categories was in the range 0.09–0.19 μg kg^?1 bw week^?1 and 0.14–0.27 μg kg^?1 bw week^?1, respectively, well below the PTWI, suggesting that the associated health risk is relatively low. However, the 99.9th percentile of the THg intakes for 2–4-year-old children amounted up to 20.6% of the PTWI (milled rice) and 29.5% of the PTWI (brown rice), which deserves attention.     

Dietary intake of arsenic by children and adults from Jinhu area of China

The aim of this study was to estimate the dietary intake of arsenic (As) by children and adults from Jinhu area of China. A duplicate diet approach was used to collect diet samples in November and December 2007. The As content was measured by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The As intakes (median) for different group were: children: 0.6 µg kg^?1 bw day^?1 or 6.7 µg kg^?1 bw week^?1; adults: 0.5 µg kg ^?1 bw day^?1 or 3.8 µg kg ^?1 bw week^?1, none of which exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 15 µg kg ^?1 bw week^?1 for As proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The median and maximum of the children group amounted to 44.7% and 125.3% of the PTWI; the values for adults were 25.3% and 118.7%, respectively. There were 3.3% of children whose weekly As intake exceeded the PTWI, and there were 6.7% of adults whose weekly As intake exceeded the PTWI. It is concluded that dietary As intake was safe for most people in Jinhu area, but the high dietary As intake for a minority of people in this area deserves attention.     

Mercury,lead, arsenic,and cadmium in Norwegian seafood products and consumer exposure

ABSTRACT

Seafood can be a source of contaminants, which may raise health concerns. The aim of this study was to analyse the levels of inorganic contaminants in commercially available seafood products and assess consumer exposure. Commercially available samples were collected from 2015–2018 and analysed as composite samples for mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium, using accredited methods. Levels of cadmium, lead, and arsenic were low and human exposure of these metals would be minimal from consumption of the analysed seafood products. Mercury levels were well below the EU maximum limit for mercury in fish. However, children, who are high consumers, might be at risk of exceeding the tolerable weekly intake for methyl mercury, when eating products with the highest mercury levels. The collected data can be used for future risk-benefit assessments as intake of processed seafood products represent a large proportion of the populations' seafood intake in Europe.     

Dietary exposure to trace elements and health risk assessment in the region of Valencia,Spain: a total diet study

ABSTRACT

Dietary exposure of the Valencian region population to lead, cadmium, inorganic arsenic (iAs), chromium, copper, tin and methylmercury (meHg) was assessed in a total diet study carried out in the region of Valencia in 2010–11. A total of 8100 food samples were collected and analysed. Occurrence data were combined with consumption data to estimate dietary exposure in adults (> 15 years of age) and young children (6–15 years of age). The estimated intake was calculated by a probabilistic approach. Average intake levels (optimistic scenario) for lead, iAs, chromium and tin were 0.21, 0.08, 1.79 and 1.87 µg kg^?1 bw day^?1 respectively; for Cd and meHg average intake levels were 0.77 and 0.54 µg kg^–1 bw week^?1, respectively, and for Cu, 1.60 mg day^?1. In terms of risk characterisation, the results showed that 2.84% of the adult population may exceed the BMDL₁₀ (benchmark dose lower confidence limit) established for Pb, which is linked to renal effects; whereas 28.01% of the young children population may exceed the BMDL₀₁ related to neurodevelopment effects. In addition, 8.47% of the adult population and 12.32% of young children exceeded the meHg tolerable weekly intake (TWI).     

九华黄精9蒸9晒加工过程中重金属含量的变化及安全性

目的探究9蒸9晒炮制不同加工阶段九华黄精中重金属和有害元素的含量变化。方法根据国家标准GB 5009.3-2016《食品安全国家标准食品中水分的测定》、GB 5009.268-2016《食品安全国家标准食品中多元素的测定》和GB5009.17-2014《食品安全国家标准食品中总汞及有机汞的测定》,检测不同蒸晒阶段的九华黄精的水分和铅、砷、汞、镉、铜、铬、锰、钼8种元素的含量并进行比较分析。结果九华黄精中汞和钼未检出,9蒸9晒炮制过程中,随着蒸晒次数的增加,重金属和有害元素的浓度被相应增加,但铅、砷、镉3种重金属的浓度却是在5蒸5晒时达到最高,随后又下降。九华黄精中重金属含量低于《中国药典》(2020)和《代用茶》标准中规定限量,但铅含量高于新鲜蔬菜和蔬菜制品限量。结论九华黄精用作中药材及生产代用茶时,其重金属和有害元素的含量是在安全范围内,但不宜作为菜肴烹调原料。     

Toxic and essential metals in Cyprinus carpio,Carassius gibelio,and Luciobarbus esocinus tissues from Keban Dam Lake,Pertek, Turkey

In various tissues of Luciobarbus esocinus, Cyprinus carpio, and Carassius gibelio which were taken from Keban Dam Lake Pertek region’s freshwaters, Turkey in January–February 2016, concentrations of mercury, nickel, lead, cadmium, arsenic, manganese, chromium, and cobalt were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave digestion. In fish muscle mean chromium concentration (0.614 mg kg^?1 in C. carpio muscle) was higher than the maximum limits as set by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organisation. Additionally, mean concentration of lead (0.380 mg kg^?1 in C. gibelio muscle) was higher compared to the maximum limit as set by Turkish Standards. Furthermore, in the assessment of the potential health risk, estimated weekly and daily intake of all metals were considerably below permissible tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) and permissible tolerable daily intake values. As a result, consumption of these fish species from this region does not pose a problem on human health.     

Risk assessment of the lead intake by consumption of red deer and wild boar meat in Southern Spain

The presence of heavy metals in big game meat may pose a risk to human health. The main objective of this paper is to carry out a risk assessment study (using a probabilistic and point-estimate approach) of lead intake by consumption of red deer and wild boar meat in Southern Spain based on Spanish data collected in the period 2003–2006. In general, the concentration levels found for wild boar meat (mean?=?1291?µg?kg^?1) were much higher than those observed in red deer meat (mean?=?326?µg?kg^?1). The results from a point-estimate risk assessment showed that the estimated average intake of lead among different exposure scenarios varied from 0.1 to 6.5 and from 0.3 to 38?µg?kg^?1?week^?1 for red deer and wild boar meat, respectively; and from 0.3 to 35?µg?kg^?1?week^?1 for individuals consuming both red deer and wild boar meat, and that the estimated intake of lead by consumption of big game meat differed significantly between hunters and non-hunters, it being higher for hunters. Besides this, results from the probabilistic risk assessment study corroborated the fact that risk is greater in hunter populations, reaching a maximum in individuals consuming only wild boar and both types of meat, with 0.4% and 0.2% of the population above the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), respectively. Likewise, the hunter populations consuming wild boar and both types of big game meat (red deer and wild boar meat) were exposed to the maximum lead level (56?µg?kg^?1?week^?1), which corresponded approximately to 224% of the PTWI. Further data and studies will be needed to give a complete risk estimation in which it will be crucial to consider the contribution to the lead intake level of other foods in the diet of both population groups.     

Total dietary intake of mercury in the Canary Islands,Spain

Estimating the risk associated with dietary intake of heavy metals by consumers is a vital and integral part of regulatory processes. The assessment of exposure to mercury shown in this paper has been performed by means of a study on the whole diet. Total mercury (Hg) levels were determined by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in 420 samples of regularly consumed food and drink. The total Hg concentrations measured in the different groups of food ranged from non-detectable to 119 µg kg^?1 w/w. The fish group had the highest concentrations of total Hg. All groups of food with regulated Hg content showed levels that were lower than the legally set values. The food consumption data used in the analysis were taken from the latest nutritional survey made in the Canary Islands, Spain. The estimated total Hg intake of local population (5.7 µg/person day^?1) did not exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) limit of 0.3 mg week^?1 of total mercury (43 µg/person day^?1) fixed by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives. Fishery products contributed 96% of the total Hg intake. The mean Hg intake for each island in this archipelago, formed by seven, has also been calculated. Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro are the islands with the highest level of Hg intake (7.0, 7,0 and 6.1 µg/person day^?1, respectively). La Palma Island, due to its low fish consumption, had the lowest level of Hg intake (4.5 µg/person day^?1), followed by La Gomera (5.4 µg/person day^?1), Tenerife (5.5 µg/person day^?1) and Gran Canaria (5.6 µg/person day^?1). A comparison has been made of the results obtained in this study with those found for other national and international communities.     

菲律宾蛤仔中铅、镉、汞、无机砷的含量分析及食用安全性评价

采用原子吸收光谱法和原子荧光光谱法分别对舟山本岛范围内农贸菜场和超市的菲律宾蛤仔中铅、镉、总汞、无机砷含量进行测定,并对其污染状况和食用安全性进行评价。结果显示：菲律宾蛤仔可食部分中铅、镉和总汞均符合GB 2762-2012《食品中污染物限量》要求,部分样品中无机砷含量超标,超标率在6%～10%之间,无机砷污染指数为0.71;菲律宾蛤仔中铅、镉、汞、无机砷含量小于世界卫生组织/联合国粮农组织制定的每周可耐受摄入量比例的10%。故舟山农贸菜场和超市中菲律宾蛤仔相对安全。     

佛山市禅城区食用鱼中汞和砷形态分析及食用安全性评价

目的 测定佛山市禅城区食用鱼中汞和砷含量,并进行形态分析,了解其污染状况,评价食用安全性。方法 使用微波消解法进行前处理,用电感耦合等离子体质谱联用仪（ICP-MS）测定食用鱼中的总砷含量;直接测汞仪测定食用鱼中总汞含量;并用高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱联用仪（LC-ICP-MS）做汞和砷的形态分析,根据《GB 2762-2017 食品安全国家标准 食品中污染物限量》采用单因子污染指数法和每周可耐受摄入量对汞和砷进行食用安全性评价[1]。结果 禅城区常见食用鱼中汞主要以甲基汞形式存在,砷主要以砷甜菜碱和少量二甲基砷酸形式存在。所测样本中甲基汞平均含量值为0.026 mg/kg,低于国家标准限量值0.5 mg/kg;无机砷含量低于检出限0.02 mg/kg,砷甜菜碱含量为0.477 mg/kg。六齿金线鱼（地方名：红杉鱼）中甲基汞含量均值为0.104 mg/kg,属于轻度污染。结论 佛山市禅城区食用鱼中汞和砷含量符合食品安全国家标准,但存在一定食用安全风险,尤其是六齿金线鱼中甲基汞属于轻度污染,食用风险高。     

Trace elements in Canadian field peas: a grain safety assurance perspective

Canada is a significant exporter of field peas and, thus, issues of food safety are important in all grain and food products within the international marketplace. Environmental contaminants, such as trace elements, may be present in all foods and, as a result, international standards have been established for a number of toxic trace elements, such as cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic, in raw food commodities and food products. The Canadian Grain Commission has undertaken a baseline study of various trace elements in Canadian peas to ensure compliance with international food safety legislation. Mean total cadmium content was found to be 0.023 mg kg^?1; arsenic and lead mean values were below the method limit of quantification of 0.050 mg kg^?1 and the total mean mercury level was below the quantification level of 0.002 mg kg^?1. All measured values in the study were below the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established by the FAO and WHO in the Codex Alimentarius. The mean total selenium content was 0.331 mg kg^?1, with 56% of the measured values exceeding the MRL established by the People's Republic of China (PRC) of 0.3 mg kg^?1. No Codex MRL has been established for selenium as it is regarded as an essential trace element for human health and the PRC is currently reviewing its MRL for selenium in light of this fact. For those parts of the world where selenium-deficiency is of nutritional concern, the higher level of selenium in Canadian peas and their products may be of nutritional benefit.     

Risk assessment of dietary exposure to aluminium in the Chinese population

In order to address the issue of excessive intake of aluminium (Al) from Al-containing food additives in the Chinese diet, this study conducted a dietary exposure assessment of Al in the general population based on the national surveillance data of Al content in foods and national food consumption data. It was found that the mean dietary exposure of the whole Chinese population to Al from Al-containing food additives was 1.795 mg kg^?1 bw week^?1, not exceeding the PTWI, while high dietary exposures (e.g., 97.5^th percentile) to Al were 7.660 and 2.103–2.903 mg kg^?1 bw week^?1 for children, respectively, both exceeding the PTWI. It was found that the dietary exposure to Al for 32.5% of the total Chinese population and 42.6% of children aged 4–6 years exceeded the PTWI. Wheat flour and wheat-based products are the main source of dietary A l exposure (85% of the total intake); and puffed foods are the major source of Al intake for children. These findings suggested that consumption of Al-containing food additives could be a health concern for consumers with high food consumption (97.5^th percentile) and children under the age of 14 years.     

2017~2019年日照市市售海带中铅、镉、汞、砷、无机砷污染监测分析

目的 调查日照市市售海带中常见污染物铅、镉、汞、砷、无机砷污染的含量,为市售海带的深加工与安全风险评价提供基础资料与科学依据。方法 在市直、县区各农贸市场、超市、食堂等进行随机采样,用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP-MS)测定市售海带中铅、镉、汞、砷的含量,以液相色谱-原子荧光光谱仪测定无机砷的含量,并按照湿、淡干、盐干等三种海带样品进行分类,对检测结果进行比较分析。 结果 2017～2019年日照市市售海带样品按照湿、淡干、盐干分类,三类样品中铅、镉、汞、砷及无机砷的含量在不同年度之间具有一致性。在同一年度中,铅、镉、砷含量的平均值：湿<盐干<淡干；汞含量平均值：湿<盐干、淡干,盐干、淡干样品中汞含量无显著差异；湿样品无机砷含量均合格,而淡干、盐干样品合格率偏低。结论 海带中铅、镉、汞、砷、无机砷污染普遍存在,而在湿、淡干与盐干海带中铅、镉、汞、砷、无机砷含量的差别应在监管与安全风险评估中给予重视。     

Dietary exposure to lead by children and adults in the Jinhu area of China

This paper reports an estimate of the dietary intake of lead by children and adults from the Jinhu area in South-eastern China. A duplicate diet approach was used to collect food samples in November and December 2007. The lead content was measured by furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Median lead intakes for different groups were as follows: children: 1.65 µg(kg_bw)^?1 day^?1; and adults: 1.10 µg(kg_bw)^?1 day^?1. No exposure exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 25 µg(kg_bw)^?1 week^?1 proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, median and maximum exposure for the children group amounted to 60.8% and 97.2% of the PTWI, respectively, which were higher than those for adults, which were 40.5% and 86.4%, respectively. It was concluded that health risks due to dietary lead intake seem to be high in Jinhu.     

苏州市地产大米重金属污染状况及人群膳食暴露风险评估

目的 研究苏州地产大米中铅、镉、总汞、总砷4种重金属污染状况, 并评估4种重金属对苏州居民的膳食暴露风险。方法 2019年从苏州市属9个区县采集本地产大米93份, 采用国标方法检测其中铅、镉、总汞、总砷4种重金属的含量, 依据GB2762-2017《食品安全国家标准 食品中污染物限量》对样品中重金属超标情况进行判定; 采用单因子污染指数法、内梅罗综合污染指数法评价大米中4种重金属的污染程度; 采用简单分布模型(确定性评估)的方法评价大米中重金属对苏州居民造成的膳食暴露风险。结果 全部大米样品中铅、镉、总汞、总砷4种重金属均未超过国家限量标准, 铅、镉、总汞和总砷污染水平均值分别为0.0208、0.0419、0.0027和0.0701 mg/kg, 各区县大米中重金属含量水平之间无统计学差别。大米中4种重金属单项污染指数均小于0.7, 污染程度处于优良水平; 综合污染指数小于0.7, 污染程度处于安全水平。苏州地产大米中铅的污染对苏州本地居民95%的儿童及所有成人均不会产生健康危害, 但可能对5%的儿童(高食物消费暴露者)产生潜在健康影响; 镉、总汞、总砷污染对成人和儿童均不会产生健康危害。结论 苏州市地产大米中重金属污染水平较低; 大米中铅的污染可能对高食物消费暴露儿童存在潜在健康危害。     

Dietary heavy metal exposure of Finnish children of 3 to 6 years

The dietary exposure of Finnish 3-year-old and 6-year-old children to cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury was determined using concentration data from Finland and individual food consumption data as well as individual weights of the children. Using middle bound estimates, 88% of the 3-year-olds and 64% of the 6-year-olds exceeded the tolerable weekly intake of cadmium. The benchmark dose for neurological damage caused by lead was exceeded by 14% and 1%, while the lowest benchmark dose of inorganic arsenic was exceeded by 43% and 29% for the 3-year-olds and 6-year-olds, respectively. The exposure of both age groups was below the tolerable weekly intake for inorganic mercury and methyl mercury. Although high, the exposures calculated with predominantly national concentration data were lower than previously estimated by EFSA, due to, for example, lower average concentrations in some much-consumed foods. The heavy metal exposure levels of the girls and the boys were also compared. Exposure to cadmium and lead was significantly higher for the boys than for the girls in both age groups, and exposure to inorganic arsenic was significantly higher for the 6-year-old boys than the girls of same age.