TITLE:
Health Risks due to Consumption of Malus domestica Golden Delicious Containing Heavy Metals
AUTHORS:
Reyna del Carmen Lara-Severino, Julia G. Cerón Breton, Rosa M. Cerón Breton, Marcela Rangel Marrón, Joaquín José Parra Pérez, Octavio Manuel Nah Cabrera, Elidesmeralda Abreu Félix
KEYWORDS:
Apple, Heavy Metal Intake, Health Risk Assessment, Daily Intake and Carcinogenic Risk
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.10 No.4,
April
22,
2019
ABSTRACT: The intake of heavy metals through food consumption is a food safety problem that severely impacts the health of consumers, so information about food intake and heavy metal concentrations in food products is required to estimate the potential risk to the health of the population. The main purpose of this study was to estimate the potential risks to human health from exposure to Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn through the intake of Malus domestica Golden Delicious consumed in the Mexican southeast, considering the age group and gender. The concentration of each of the metals was quantified by spectrometry of atomic absorption (AAE) and the daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk indices through the consumption of apple: health risk index (HRI), total health risk index (THRI), target hazard coefficient (THQ) and the probability of carcinogenic risk (CR) were estimated. The concentrations of the metals analyzed in the apple samples showed the following decreasing order: Zn ≥ Ni ≥ Cu ≥ Pb ≥ Cd. The DIM values showed the following decreasing order: child > young adult > adoescent > elders. The health risk assessments (HRI, THRI, THQ and CR) obtained from the samples of Golden Delicious apples are located within the acceptable and/or tolerable limits, however, the increase in the intake of heavy metals through consumption of apples from establishments in the study area or the consumption of various foods contaminated with heavy metals may increase the health risk potential of consumers. For this reason, it is recommended to carry out studies on the concentration of heavy metals in food products, mainly those of greater popular consumption, to guarantee food security of the population.