Trace and Macro Elements Concentrations in Selected Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, and Processed Foods in North Carolina, USA
Trace elements are minerals that are
required in small amounts to maintain normal physiological processes and
function. Although required
in very small amounts, trace elements such as iron, iodine, fluoride, copper,
zinc, chromium, selenium, manganese and molybdenum are vital for maintaining health.
Fresh fruits,
vegetables, herbs, and processed foods continue to be the major sources of
essential trace elements in humans’ diet required for proper body development.
However, food products can potentially be contaminated by toxic heavy metals
(HMs) from environmental contamination or industrial food processing.
Accordingly, this study investigated a comparative analysis of essential
elements and potential toxic HMs concentration in food products in the
Greensboro metropolis, North Carolina, USA.
A total of 49 food
samples comprising of 16 difference fresh fruits, 17 fresh vegetables, 4 herbs,
and 12 processed foods were purchased from local grocery stores and analyzed
for iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu),
lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) by the use of flame atomic
absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The concentrations of elements were subjected
to a regression analysis to further gain insight of the inter-element
association in the food samples.
The results showed
that the concentrations of trace elements obtained in this study were generally
within the normal trace element concentrations for food samples. Potentially
toxic heavy metals such as Cd, Ni, and Cr were not detected in any of the food
samples. The concentrations of Pb detected in some food samples are within the
acceptable range of Pb concentrations for food samples. Strong correlations
between Cu and Fe and between Ca and Fe were obtained in the food samples. The
trace element concentrations in this study are also comparable to the
concentrations of elements in food samples from other countries. Overall, the
analyzed food samples contained adequate essential trace elements
concentrations required in humans diet. There is no evidence of heavy metal
food contamination that can endanger the public safety or pose health risk to
food consumers in the Greensboro metropolis. However, the small Pb
concentrations detected in the food samples necessitate a continuous monitoring
of the levels of Pb in food samples to ensure public safety.
In general, the
participants generally consumed more potatoes and processed foods than any
other investigated fruits and vegetables. Future study includes analysis of
food samples for other potentially dangerous elements such as mercury and
arsenic.
Article by Tsdale F. Mehari, et al, from
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA.
Full access: https://bit.ly/2SQf1b1
Image by reda bacha, from Flickr-cc.
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