Cadmium and Lead Content in Chosen Commercial Fishery Products Consumed in Poland and Risk Estimations on Fish Consumption

Chemical Composition and Elements Concentration of Fillet, Spine and Bones of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Relation to Nutrient Requirements for Minerals

The aim of the study was to compare the content of major components, selected elements and heavy metals in the fillet, spine and bones of a carp (Cyprinus carpio). Moreover, the extent to which a prepared portion of carp tissue (100 g of fillet and 10 g of carp spine or bones) met the requirements for analyzed elements in adults (women and men) and children was calculated. The proximate composition (total protein, total lipid, ash, moisture) and mineral content of the fish samples were determined. The nutrient composition presented fluctuations among the different tissues. Moisture was the main constituent in the fillet and in the spine with 77.8% and 56.0%, respectively, whereas in bones, the main ingredient was ash (36.2%). All carp tissues were good sources of protein, with 16.5%, 21.0% and 17.0% in spine, bones and fillet, respectively. The most abundant main elements were the potassium in the fillet (4005 mg kg-1) and calcium in the bones (116,463 mg kg-1). The most abundant trace elements were iron in fillet and zinc in bones and spine. Carp meat can be considered a safe foodstuff in terms of concentrations of Hg, Pb and Cd, as the levels of these contaminants were less than FAO and European Commission maximum guidelines.

Cadmium and Lead Concentration in Drinking Instant Coffee, Instant Coffee Drinks and Coffee Substitutes: Safety and Health Risk Assessment

The presence of heavy metals in food is a global problem. The paper aimed to examine the content of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in instant coffee and instant coffee substitutes. The safety of consumption of the beverages by adult Poles was estimated based on the following parameters: tolerable weekly intake (TWI) %, benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) %, chronic daily intake (CDI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI), for three beverage consumption patterns-one, two or three servings a day. Forty-nine samples of coffee, instant coffee drinks and coffee substitutes were analysed. The content of cadmium and lead was determined by ICP (inductively coupled plasma) analysis. The maximum level of Cd in the analysed beverages was 3.2 µg, and that of Pb was 82.6 µg per 1 kg. The tolerable level of intake of Cd (TWI) and Pb (BMDL) with the analysed beverages did not exceed 2.5%. The value of CDI, THQ and HI was not higher than 1, which means that the risk of diseases related to chronic exposure to Cd and Pb consumed with coffee should be evaluated as very low. However, special note should be taken of Pb, as the level of this metal was higher than that of Cd, and for beverages with a higher weight per serving (e.g. Cappuccino), the intake of Pb can exceed consumer-safe levels if they are consumed on a regular basis. Therefore, it should be considered whether it is advisable for flavoured multi-ingredient instant coffee drinks to be consumed from time to time only, and natural coffee with optional milk and/or sugar be the choice of regular coffee drinkers.

Evaluation of consumer safety of Polish honey-the content of Cd and Pb in multifloral, monofloral and honeydew honeys

The paper aimed to evaluate the degree of contamination of honey available on the Polish market with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The analyses involved 49 samples of honey: monofloral (n = 24): linden, raspberry, goldenrod, bean, dandelion, buckwheat and rapeseed honey, multifloral honey (n = 17) and coniferous honeydew honey (n = 8). The content of Cd and Pb was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometers (ICP-OES). The content of Cd and Pb was confirmed in all the analysed honeys, but in 18% of samples the level of Cd was < LOQ. The analysed honeys contained from < LOQ to ca. 0.09 mg Cd per 1 kg, on average 0.025 mg kg^-1. On average, they contained 0.193 mg Pb (range 0.014-1.007) per 1 kg of the raw product. The content of Cd and Pb can be presented as: honeydew honey > multifloral honey > monofloral honey. The content of Cd in monofloral honeys can be presented as follows: linden > other (raspberry, goldenrod, bean, linden + bean) > dandelion = buckwheat = rape, while the content of Pb as linden > other > rapeseed > buckwheat > dandelion honey. It should be emphasised that consuming 19 g of honey a week (mean honey consumption in Poland) is safe for human health, as it results in an intake of Cd at the level of 1.18E-04% PTWI and 0.553% PTWI for children and an intake of Pb at the level of 0.641% BMDL01 for adults and 5.916% BMDL for children. The obtained results lead to a conclusion that the risk of disorders related to chronic exposure to Cd and Pb ingested with honey is very low, which is demonstrated by the fact that both children and adults showed CDI, CR, THQ and HI that were lower than 1.

Heavy metals in processed seafood products from Turkey: risk assessment for the consumers

In this study, concentrations of 6 different elements (copper (Cu), tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)) in 9 different processed seafood (marinated and smoked mackerel, smoked mackerel, marinated octopus tentacles, marinated octopus salad, marinated squid salad, salted and dried mackerel, marinated and smoked anchovy, smoked salmon and smoked bonito) randomly taken from markets in Mugla province (West Anatolia, Turkey) were determined with the method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) after microwave wet digestion process. In addition, risk assessment for consumer health was conducted by the determination of estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR). According to the obtained results, the seafood product samples with the highest concentrations of each metal were marinated and smoked anchovy for Fe (65.85 ± 16.03 mg kg^-1), marinated and smoked anchovy for Zn (64.58 ± 25.16 mg kg^-1), marinated octopus salad for Cu (26.33 ± 17.76 mg kg^-1), smoked mackerel for Sn (0.42 ± 0.18 mg kg^-1), smoked mackerel for Pb (0.28 ± 0.18 mg kg^-1) and marinated squid salad for Cd (0.31 ± 0.12 mg kg^-1). According to risk assessment for consumer health, it was found that EDI results did not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) values. As a conclusion, any risk for consumer health in terms of CR, THQ and TTHQ values was not detected in the examined samples.

Salmon (Salmo salar) Side Streams as a Bioresource to Obtain Potential Antioxidant Peptides after Applying Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE)

The pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) technique was used to obtain protein extracts with antioxidant capacity from salmon muscle remains, heads, viscera, skin, and tailfins. A protein recovery percentage ≈28% was obtained for all samples except for viscera, which was ≈92%. These values represented an increase of 1.5-4.8-fold compared to stirring extraction (control). Different SDS-PAGE profiles in control and PLE extracts revealed that extraction conditions affected the protein molecular weight distribution of the obtained extracts. Both TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) and ORAC (oxygen radical antioxidant capacity) assays showed an outstanding antioxidant activity for viscera PLE extract. Through liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization triple time-of-flight (nanoESI qQTOF) mass spectrometry, 137 and 67 peptides were identified in control and PLE extracts from salmon viscera, respectively None of these peptides was found among the antioxidant peptides inputted in the BIOPEP-UMP database. However, bioinformatics analysis showed several antioxidant small peptides encrypted in amino acid sequences of viscera extracts, especially GPP (glycine-proline-proline) and GAA (glycine-alanine-alanine) for PLE extracts. Further research on the relationship between antioxidant activity and specific peptides from salmon viscera PLE extracts is required. In addition, the salmon side streams studied presented non-toxic levels of As, Hg, Cd, and Pb, as well as the absence of mycotoxins or related metabolites. Overall, these results confirm the feasible use of farmed salmon processing side streams as alternative sources of protein and bioactive compounds for human consumption.

Assessment of the risk of exposure to cadmium and lead as a result of the consumption of coffee infusions

The paper aimed to analyse the safety of drinking coffee by adult Poles in terms of Pb and Cd content. The degree to which Cd and Pb passed from coffee grounds into the coffee infusion was also examined. Twenty-three samples of natural coffee were examined. The content of metals was determined using the ICP method. On average, dry coffee contained ca. 0.004 μg Cd and 0.05 μg Pb per 1 g, and 95.5% Cd and 94% Pb passed into the infusion. Drinking coffee supplies these metals in the amount of less than 2% TWI (tolerable weekly intake) for Cd and BMDL (benchmark dose lower confidence limit) for Pb. In the presented studies, the values of CDI (chronic daily intake), THQ (target hazard quotient) and HI (hazard index) indicators were lower than 1, which means that the risk of developing diseases connected with chronic exposure to Cd and Pb consumed with coffee must be evaluated as very low. The content of Cd and Pb in the analysed coffee infusions was very low, so drinking coffee does not pose a risk for consumers in terms of the content of these metals. However, it must be remembered that no threshold limits for toxic metal consumption exist because these metals accumulate in the body for a long time. The studies presented here also showed a low (r = 0.26) but still a positive correlation between the content of Pb in coffee and the degree (%) to which Pb passed into the infusion. This problem should be thoroughly investigated.

Mineral and trace element composition of the roe and muscle tissue of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with respect to nutrient requirements: Elements in rainbow trout products

BACKGROUND

Due to excellent nutritional properties of fish and fish products, dietitians recommend their larger share in the diet, for both the prevention and treatment of diet-related diseases. In this context particular attention should be given to fish eggs (roe). The aim of the study was to compare the content of selected minerals and trace elements in the roe and muscle tissue of aquaculture-reared rainbow trout. Moreover, the extent to which an edible portion of 100 g of fish product (roe or fillet) satisfies the requirements for these elements in adult consumers (women and men) and children was determined.

METHODS

The research material was represented by 20 farmed rainbow trout females (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In muscle tissue and roe the proximate composition, energy value, and nutritional quality index were examined. Concentrations of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. The levels of minerals and trace elements in fish products were used to calculate the percentages of the recommended dietary reference values for adults and children in portion of 100 g.

RESULTS

The roe had higher content of 7 elements including, Zn (29.40 ± 1.38, 27.74-30.91 mg/kg), Mn (1.66 ± 0.08, 1.55-1.73 mg/kg), Fe (11.17 ± 0.35, 10.75-11.60 mg/kg), Cu (1.24 ± 0.04, 1.21-1.30 mg/kg), Ca (546.90 ± 23.68, 522.02-578.96 mg/kg), Mg (546.97 ± 23.68, 522.02-578.96 mg/kg), Na (403.61 ± 5.53, 397.29-407.57 mg/kg) compared to muscle tissue, respectively, Zn (2.73 ± 0.97, 0.94-3.77 mg/kg, Mn (0.22 ± 0.10, 0.14-0.46 mg/kg), Fe (2.19 ± 1.44, 1.02-5.50 mg/kg), Cu (0.24 ± 0.06, 0.17-0.36 mg/kg), Ca (164.07 ± 71.72, 93.24-306.32 mg/kg), Mg (240.00 ± 73.37, 127.92-316.41 mg/kg), Na (273.37 ± 99.65, 183.93-524.41 mg/kg). In turn, the muscle tissue contained 3 times as much K (5159.87 ± 974.70, 4004.63-6343.91 mg/kg) as the roe (1713.65 ± 58.68, 1643.97-1764.14 mg/kg). The roe covered the recommended nutrition standards (population reference intake, PRI and adequate intake, AI) to a greater extent than the fillet for all analysed trace elements and minerals except K. For children, the contribution of roe to the reference intake of such elements as Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu was particularly high. Therefore the roe should be considered as a source of Mg for all consumer groups, and as high in Zn for women and children. The suggested portion of fillet and roe provided only 2-3 % of the daily requirement for Na.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the differences found, both roe and fillet from rainbow trout are a good source of analysed elements. The results indicate the need to continue research in order to determine the influence of other factors on the content of minerals and trace elements in roe and the possibility of using gonads to enrich other food products with elements.

Potential Human Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals via Consumption of Root Tubers from Ogoniland, Rivers State, Nigeria

This study was designed to investigate the concentration of heavy metals and their associated human health risk via consumption of root tubers cultivated in three major communities in Ogoniland, Rivers State, Nigeria. The concentration of heavy metals, especially, Cr and Pb in soil, indicates a moderate contamination (˃ 1.00 mg/kg) level. The concentrations of heavy metals in the root tubers Manihot esculenta, Colocasia esculenta, and Dioscorea alata harvested from Choba, Kpean, and Bodo City ranged from 0.20 ± 0.01-0.84 ± 0.04, 0.01 ± 0.001-0.09 ± 0.02, 0.01 ± 0.002-0.63 ± 0.04, 2.11 ± 0.03-11.8 ± 2.12, and 6.30 ± 1.18-118.6 ± 0.19 mg/kg for Cr, Pb, Ni, Mn, and Fe respectively, while Cd had the same value of 0.01 ± 0.001 mg/kg in the three samples across the three sites. The bio-accumulation factor (BAF) for Cd was ˃ 1. The estimated daily intake were below the FAO/WHO permissible limit, while the target hazard quotient (THQ) has a trend of Mn> Fe> Pb> Cd> Ni> Cr, and were ˂ 1 for all the sampling areas. The HI values for M. esculenta for children in Choba, Kpean, and Bodo City were ˃ 1, indicating that children among the local populace were susceptible to heavy metals health risks. The carcinogenic risk (CR) value of Cr indicates that there was appreciable lifetime cancer risk for Cr as the CR value in all the sampling sites were ˃ 10^-4. Furthermore, CR values of Ni and Cd were also within the predicted lifetime risks of carcinogens. Heavy metal contamination of root tubers cultivated in Ogoniland may posed a great health risk to local populace especially for children via consumption of root tubers.

Cadmium Profiles in Dental Calculus: a Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study in Hunan Province of China

We aimed to investigate whether the cadmium concentrations differ in human dental calculus obtained from the residents with no smoking living in the contaminated area and those with no smoking living in noncontaminated area. In total, there were 260 samples of dental calculus from the adults (n = 50) with no smoking living in contaminated area, the adults (n = 60) with no smoking living in mountainous area, and the adults (n = 150) with no smoking living in low altitude area in Hunan province of China. All samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for cadmium levels. The cadmium levels in dental calculus were significantly higher in the adults with no smoking living in contaminated area than those living in mountainous area and in low altitude area (p < 0.01). The cadmium levels in dental calculus were also higher in the adults with no smoking living in low altitude area than those living in mountainous region (p < 0.01). The results suggested that measuring cadmium levels in dental calculus may be a useful noninvasive method for analysis of environmental exposure to cadmium in the human oral cavity. The low altitude region may have an area contaminated with cadmium in Hunan province of China.