Toxic and essential elements in five tree nuts from Hangzhou market, China

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Tree nuts are a significant part of the human diet, providing essential nutrients.
• Assessing the elemental composition of tree nuts is crucial for food safety and human health.
• Contamination by toxic elements in food sources is a global concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the concentrations of essential (Cr, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr) and toxic (Al, As, Cd, Pb) elements in various tree nuts.
• To evaluate the dietary intake and safety of these elements from tree nut consumption in Hangzhou, China.

Main Methods:

• Collected 35 tree nut samples (walnut, pecan, pine seed, hickory nut, torreya) from 5 markets in Hangzhou.
• Utilized inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) for precise elemental analysis.
• Calculated estimated provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) for toxic elements.

Main Results:

• Quantified ranges for essential elements: Cr (0.26-0.78 mg/kg), Mn (42.1-174 mg/kg), Fe (33.7-43.9 mg/kg), Mo (0.11-0.48 mg/kg), Cu (10.3-17.6 mg/kg), Zn (21.6-56.1 mg/kg), Se (0.015-0.051 mg/kg), Sr (not specified).
• Quantified ranges for toxic elements: Al (1.44-37.6 mg/kg), As (0.0062-0.047 mg/kg), Cd (0.016-0.18 mg/kg), Pb (0.0069-0.029 mg/kg).
• Estimated daily intake of Al, As, Cd, and Pb from tree nuts was found to be significantly lower than established provisional tolerable daily intake levels.

Conclusions:

• Tree nuts commercially available in Hangzhou are a safe source of essential minerals and contain toxic elements within acceptable limits.
• The consumption of these tree nuts does not pose a significant health risk concerning the analyzed toxic elements.
• Further research could expand the scope to include a wider variety of nuts and geographical locations.