Assessing Leaching of Potentially Hazardous Elements from Cookware during Cooking: A Serious Public Health Concern

The intake of toxic metals from cooking utensils through food is of growing concern to the medical community. This intake poses serious risk to human health. In many developing countries, different types of contaminated metals scraps are used to make cooking utensils. The leaching of both nutritionally essential and toxic metals in significant quantities from cookware during the cooking process results in food contamination and poses a substantial health risk. In the present study, the leaching of some toxic and potentially toxic metals from cooking utensils into different solutions and food was investigated. A preliminary survey indicated that the majority of individuals tend to use aluminum cookware due to its affordability, overlooking the potential health risks associated with these inexpensive and lower-quality cooking utensils. XRF analysis revealed that aluminum, steel, and copper cookware had K, Ca, Pb, Cd, Ni, V, Sn Mo, Zn, Bi, and Tb as contaminants. In addition, aluminum (3.2 ± 0.25 to 4.64 ± 0.20 g/kg) and copper cookware (2.90 ± 0.12 g/kg) were highly contaminated with lead. The time and pH-dependent study revealed that leaching of metals (Al, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, Cu, and Fe, etc.) into food was predominantly from anodized and non-anodized aluminum cookware. More metal leaching was observed from new aluminum cookware compared to old. Acidic food was found to cause more metals to leach during cooking. Blood metal analysis of the local population revealed the presence of high concentrations of Al, Pb, Cd, and Ni. In conclusion, leaching of toxic or potentially toxic metals from cookware into food, especially from anodized and non-anodized aluminum cookware, poses a potential public health risk. Practical applications: Cooking utensils are routinely used for the preparation of food. However, the harmful impact posed by these essential items is largely unknown. The current research briefly explains the toxic metals leaching from cookware in a pH-dependent manner and leaves a message to the public, especially in developing countries like Pakistan, regarding the type of cookware suitable for cooking purposes.