Dietary Risk Assessment of Cadmium Exposure Through Commonly Consumed Foodstuffs in Mexico

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal widely distributed in foodstuffs. In Mexico, few studies have evaluated Cd content in foods. This study aimed to determine Cd concentrations in foodstuffs that are highly consumed and bought in Mexico City to identify foods exceeding the Maximum Level (ML) and to assess the health risks of theoretical Cd intake from a diet following the Mexican Dietary Guidelines. A total of 143 foodstuffs were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Theoretical Cd intake was estimated in portions per week and compared with the Cd Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI = 2.5 μg/kg per body weight). A total of 68.5% of the foodstuffs had detectable Cd concentrations. Higher concentrations were found in oyster mushrooms (0.575 mg/kg), romaine lettuce (0.335 mg/kg), and cocoa powder (0.289 mg/kg). Food groups with higher mean concentrations were vegetables (0.084 mg/kg) and snacks, sweets, and desserts (0.049 mg/kg). Ancho chili and romaine lettuce exceed the ML. The theoretical Cd intake estimation was 1.80, 2.05, and 3.82 μg/kg per body weight for adults, adolescents, and school-age children, respectively. This theoretical Cd intake represents a health risk only for school children exceeding the TWI by 53.2%. Our study confirms the presence and risk of Cd in Mexican foodstuffs and highlights the importance of monitoring programs.

Keywords

• cadmium
• health risk assessment
• tolerable weekly intake
• monitoring study
• food contamination