Potentially toxic elements and physicochemical parameters of corn and potato chips consumed in Iraq: dietary exposure...

Corn based and potato based chips are widely consumed snack foods that may act as unintended sources of potentially toxic element (PTE) exposure through raw material contamination, processing additives, and packaging. This study measured five PTEs (Cu, Ni, Zn, Mn, Fe), alongside pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids, in 30 chip samples (21 corn based, 9 potato based) from Iraqi markets using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Mean concentrations decreased in the order Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Ni for corn chips and Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn for potato chips. Fe ranged from 0.43-165.00 $\text{mg}{\text{kg}}^{-1}$ in corn chips and 0.70-34.40 $\text{mg}{\text{kg}}^{-1}$ in potato chips, exceeding the FAO/WHO permissible limit of 0.3 $\text{mg}{\text{kg}}^{-1}$ in all samples; Mn exceeded its 0.2 $\text{mg}{\text{kg}}^{-1}$ limit in most samples. Hazard quotients for Cu, Ni, Zn, and Mn stayed below 1.0, while Fe hazard quotients averaged 4.25-20.42. Cumulative hazard index values exceeded 1.0 for both groups (mean 4.37-21.45), with children more affected. Estimated cancer risk from Ni ranged from 1.62E-4 to 2.50E-4 for adults and 6.48E-4 to 1.0E-3 for children. Routine PTE monitoring is recommended to protect consumer health.