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A Systematic Review on Heavy Metals Contamination in Bangladeshi Fruits and Their Associated Health Risks
Md Hafizul Islam1, Abira Nowar1, Saiful Islam1
1Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Environmental Health Insights
|December 30, 2024
Summary
Heavy metal contamination in Bangladeshi fruits poses health risks. While daily intake is below safe limits, some fruits exceed acceptable levels, increasing cancer risks from arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel.
Area of Science:
- Food Safety
- Environmental Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Food safety is a major concern in Bangladesh, with heavy metal contamination in food items being a significant policy issue.
- Locally produced fruits are a potential source of exposure to hazardous heavy metals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review heavy metal contamination in Bangladeshi fruits.
- To estimate the health risks associated with consuming these contaminated fruits.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of 1458 articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google searches.
- Analysis of heavy metal concentrations (As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Hg) in fruits.
- Health risk assessment using estimated daily intake, target cancer risk, target hazard quotient, and hazard index.
Main Results:
- Concentrations of several heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Hg) were reported, with some exceeding maximum acceptable levels in banana, mango, jackfruit, guava, litchi, blackberry, lemon, and tamarind.
- While daily intake was below maximum tolerated levels, target hazard quotients for some fruits (strawberry, guava, mango, pineapple, banana, papaya) surpassed safety levels.
- Target cancer risk levels for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel were elevated, indicating potential long-term risks for cancers like stomach and lung cancer.
Conclusions:
- Heavy metal contamination in Bangladeshi fruits presents a significant public health concern.
- Elevated target hazard quotients and target cancer risk levels necessitate urgent strategies to mitigate heavy metal exposure from fruit consumption.
- Integrated approaches are crucial to reduce the heavy metal burden in fruits and protect population health.
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