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Published on: September 1, 2017
Trace elements in commercially available infant formulas in Iran: Determination and estimation of health risks
Roya Peirovi-Minaee1, Mahmoud Taghavi2, Marzieh Harimi3
1Department of Environment Health Engineering, School of Health, Social Determinates of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
Insights
Infant formulas in Iran show concerning levels of chromium, nickel, and lead, exceeding safe intake limits for infants. Regular monitoring is crucial to protect vulnerable infants from toxic trace elements in their food.
Area of Science:
- Food safety and toxicology
- Pediatric nutrition
- Environmental health
Background:
- Infants are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of trace elements in their diet.
- Contamination of infant formula with heavy metals poses a significant health risk to this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, and lead in infant formulas available in Iran.
- To assess the potential health risks associated with infant consumption of these contaminated formulas.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb) in infant formula samples using analytical techniques.
- Calculation of Estimated Weekly Intakes (EWIs) and comparison with Provisional Tolerated Weekly Intakes (PTWIs) set by FAO/WHO.
- Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) assessments to evaluate health risks.
Main Results:
- Mean concentrations of trace elements followed the order: Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd > As.
- Estimated Weekly Intakes (EWIs) for chromium, nickel, and lead exceeded Provisional Tolerated Weekly Intakes (PTWIs) in a significant percentage of samples.
- Hazard Quotients (HQs) for lead, copper, cadmium, and arsenic were above safe limits, and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) values for cadmium, chromium, and nickel were elevated in some brands.
Conclusions:
- Certain infant formulas sold in Iran contain trace elements at levels that may pose health risks to infants.
- Elevated levels of chromium, nickel, and lead, in particular, warrant attention due to exceeding safe intake guidelines.
- Continuous monitoring of raw materials, production, and storage is essential to mitigate infant exposure to toxic trace elements.
Abstract:
Infants are significantly more vulnerable to trace elements from their foods. The objective of the present study was to ascertain the concentrations of some trace elements namely; arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and lead in infant formulas sold in Iran and to estimate the potential health risks to the infants through consumption of these products. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in infant formula samples were 0.006, 0.040, 0.3980, 2.014, 0.166 and 0.285 mg/kg, respectively. The mean levels of the trace elements were in the following order: Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd > As. For arsenic, cadmium and copper, calculated EWIs (estimated weekly intakes) were within the PTWIs (provisional tolerated weekly intakes) recommended by FAO/WHO. For chromium, nickel and lead, the calculated EWIs were higher than the PTWIs in 88.8 %, 75 %, and 61.1 % of the formulas. HQs of Pb, Cu, Cd and As were above the safe limits, indicating health concerns from the consumption of some infant formulas. Based on the CR classification, CR values of some elements including Cd, Cr and Ni were above 1 × 10-4 in some brands, indicating that exposure to these elements from infant formulas may cause health risks. Therefore, regular monitoring of all the raw materials, stages of production and storage of infant formulas is essential to limit the exposure of this vulnerable age group to toxic trace elements.
