Analyzing heavy metal contamination for one of the high-rate consumption fruits in Iran: A probabilistic health risk assessment
Mohammad Rezvani Ghalhari,
Nayereh Rezaei Rahimi,
Mohammad Fahiminia,
Elahe Noruzzade,
Abooalfazl Azhdarpoor,
Zeynab Koochakzadeh,
Habib Vakili,
Reza Fouladi-Fard
Affiliations
Mohammad Rezvani Ghalhari
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Student's Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Nayereh Rezaei Rahimi
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Mohammad Fahiminia
Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran; Corresponding author.
Elahe Noruzzade
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abooalfazl Azhdarpoor
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Zeynab Koochakzadeh
Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
Habib Vakili
Department of Health, Safety and Environment, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Reza Fouladi-Fard
Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran; Environmental Health Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran; Corresponding author. Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
Good health and well-being is one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) that can be achieved through fruit consumption. This study measured cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) heavy metal concentrations. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to analyze the samples for heavy metal content. The uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic heavy metal intake via cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) consumption were assessed by Monte Carlo simulation. The mean ± SD levels of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and As were determined to be 157.87 ± 128.54, 33.81 ± 6.27, 288.46 ± 114.59, 35.22 ± 18.67, and 33.6 ± 18.1 μg/kg, respectively. The 95th percentile of HI related to heavy metal intake via cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) among children and adults were 2.64 and 1.75, respectively. Also, the 95th percentile of ELCR related to heavy metal were 8.26E-4 and 4.14E-3 among children and adults, respectively. The 95th percentile of LTCR of As among adults and As, Cd, and Pb among children were in the WHO target range (1E-04 to 1E-06) so reducing the concentration of them can help to reduce overall LTCR. When HQ and LTCR are below the cut limits, reducing heavy metals in high-consumption meals is a good way to lower them. In general, due to the wide consumption of various fruits, such as cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), the concentration of environmental pollutants in their edible tissues should be monitored regularly, and the concentration of pollutants in these tissues should be minimized by proper planning.
