Potential toxic elements (PTEs) concentration in wheat and flour products in Iran: A probabilistic risk assessment.

The aim of This study was to assess the concentration of potential toxic elements (PTEs) in wheat, flour of Sangak, and Lavash bread samples and the possible effect of the milling process due to a depreciation of the device. Levels of PTEs in tested samples (n = 270) from 10 factories in Iran were determined by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry). In addition, the associated human health risk due to consumption of wheat, Sangak and Lavash bread flours in adults and children was estimated. In this approach, percentile 95% hazard quotient (HQ), Hazard index (HI), and Total Hazard Index (THI) was used as a symptom for endangering the consumer people health. A significant difference was detected in Ni concentration between wheat and two brands of flours i.e., Sangak and Lavash samples. The PTEs concentration order in the wheat and flour samples was Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > As > Cd, respectively. Consistent with findings, the concentration of PTEs in all samples was less than the permitted limit set by the European Commission and JECFA committee. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic human health risk assessment (HRA) was calculated. Bread consumption per capita is 0.45 kg for adults and 0.27 kg for children per day. The results showed that both adults and children groups are not at remarkable health risk for PTEs at mean HQ, HI, THI <1 and ELCR <10E-4, but for HRA at the percentile 95% showed there is HRA of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic disease for children group (HQ, HI, THI >1 and ELCR >10E-4).

The concentration of the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the muscle of fishes collected from Caspian Sea: A health risk assessment study.

In the present study, the concentration of (potentially toxic element) PTEs in the five fish species from the Caspian Sea (from five coastal areas) was measured and compared. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and total THQ (TTHQ) were calculated using Monte Carlo simulations to determine the non-carcinogenic risk in both children and adults consumers. The highest concentration of PTEs was associated with chromium (Cr) measured in Cyprinus carpio, sampled from Bandar Anzali (1.56 ± 0.14 µg/g dw), and the minimum PTEs level was nickel (Ni) in Vimba from Astara (0.02 ± 0.01 µg/g d w). The rank order for PTEs based on THQ was mercury (Hg) > cadmium (Cd) > lead (Pb)> Ni > tin (Sn) > Total Cr. For adults, the fishes rank order based on TTHQ was: Cyprinus carpio (3.268) > Chelon saliens (2.89) > Rutilus frisii kutum kanesky (2.28) > Oncorhynchus mykis (1.39) > Vimba (0.25); and for children was Cyprinus carpio (15.25) > Chelon saliens (13.47) > Rutilus frisii kutum kanesky (10.63) > Oncorhynchus mykis (6.48) > Vimba (1.16). Overall this study showed that the levels of PTEs in investigated fish species had a potential non-carcinogenic risk for both children and adults (TTHQ>1).

Determination of heavy metal content of processed fruit products from Tehran's market using ICP- OES: A risk assessment study.

In this study, the levels of Cd, Hg, Sn, Al, Pb and As of 72 samples (36 samples for fruits juices and 36 samples for fruits canned) of three different brands including of Peach, Orange, Cherry, and Pineapple (18 samples of each fruits) marketed in Tehran, Iran (2015) were evaluated using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique. Also, Probabilistic risk assessment (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks) was estimated by models include target hazard quotient (THQ) and cancer risk (CR) in the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) model. However, all samples were contaminated with the heavy metals investigated, most of them not surpassed established standards. The range of concentration for Al, Sn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb as average in fruit juices were reported as 340.62 (65.17-1039.2), 72.33 (49.76-119.4), 3.76 (1.137-18.36), 2.12 (0.89-3.44), 0.351 and 40.86 (27.87-66.1) µg/kg, respectively. The level of heavy metals measured in different kinds of fruit juices was ranked as Al > Sn > Pb > As > Cd > Hg, and for fruits canned this rank was Pb > Al > Sn > As > Cd > Hg. The range of concentration for Al, Sn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in fruits canned were reported as 361.23 (43.15-1121.2), 101.42 (71.45-141.61), 3.92 (1.279-19.50), 2.78 (1.09-5.56), 0.35 and 690.54 (470.56-910.14) µg/kg, respectively. The lead (Pb) concentration in 97.22% (35 out of 36 samples) of fruit juices samples surpassed Codex limit (0.05 mg/kg) and in all samples of FC was lower than the legal limit of Codex limit (1 mg/kg). All of the samples had Tin (Sn) lower than the legal limit of Codex (fruit juices 100 mg/kg and FC 250 mg/kg). The MCS indicated that the rank order of heavy metals in both adults and children based on THQ was Al > Sn > As > Pb > Cd > Hg. The THQ of Al and Sn in the FJ and FC, for both adults, and children, was considerably higher than 1 value. Also, CR of As in both adults and children were higher than 1E-6 value. Although the mean concentration of heavy metal in the FJ and FC was lower than the standard limit, the MCS indicated that adults and children are at considerable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks.