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Health Risk Assessment Based on the Trace Elements in the Fruits and Vegetables Grown in an Industrial Area in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Md Juel Mahmud
International Center for Climate Change and Development, Independent University of Bangladesh, Bashundhara, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh.

Mahfuza Sharifa Sultana
Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.

Sakhawath Hossain
Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.

Sajin Sultana
Leadership and Sustainability, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Md Mostafizur Rahman
Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Background: Food security is an alarming issue to researchers. This study aimed to evaluate the trace metals in fruits and vegetables and their impact on human health in Konabari industrial area (Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh) during 2016-2017. Methods: Wet acid digestion determined the concentrations of eight trace elements (aluminum, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and zinc) in 28 samples of 10 fruits and vegetables (papaya, guava, banana, Malabar spinach, eggplant, jute tender leaves, watercress, water spinach, gourd leaves, and cauliflower) using a microwave and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. To assess the human health risk, the target hazard quotient (THQ) was calculated only for iron, manganese, and zinc in Microsoft Excel. Results: The mean concentrations of aluminum, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium manganese, sodium, and zinc were 764.2, 6664.6, 556.2, 3551.14, 4479.4, 1034, 1559.8, and 128.6 mg/kg, respectively, which decreased as Ca>Mg>K>Na>Mn>Al>Fe>Zn. Most values exceeded the total nutritional levels for these fruits and vegetables, while the estimated daily intake of the elements was acceptable. The THQ of the fruits and vegetables consumed by the adult population was <1. Conclusion: As the THQ was <1, the consumption of the samples posed no major health risks in terms of the trace elements.

Keywords: Trace element, Heavy metals, Risk assessment, Fruits and Vegetables contamination, Bangladesh ,

Location: Konabari industrial area (Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh) during 2016-2017

Start Date: 00-00-2016

End Date: 00-00-2017

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Health hazard, Fruit, Vegetables

Objectives:

The present study was conducted during 2016-2017, aimed to measure the concentrations of some essential elements in the fruits and vegetables of a selected industrial area and compare the values with the recommended nutritional levels, estimated daily intake, and inoffensive upper level of intake in order to identify the possible human health risks.

Methodology:

2.1. Site Description and Sampling Konabari in Gazipur District is adjacent to Dhaka megacity in Bangladesh and was selected as the study site, which is located at 90°17'00"N-90°21'00"N and 23°59'05"E24°30'15"E. Gazipur District is a densely populated industrial area, with the approximate population of 203,378. The entire area is covered by Konabari (22.10 km2) and is part of Madhupur Tract, lying within the Dhaka-Gazipur terrace, which is located in the middle part of the country. As the soil of Konabari industrial area is highly supplemented with various chemicals and metals, the nutritional levels of the fruits and vegetables growing in this area had to be measured to perceive the possible human health risks of their consumption. The present study was also focused on the evolution of the environmental deterioration of the study area by analyzing the elemental levels in fruits and vegetables. 2.2. Experimental Analysis In the laboratory, the samples were prepared for elemental analysis by wet acid digestion in a microwave oven. The fruits and vegetables were washed with highpurity distilled water to remove the external particles, chopped with a sharp knife separately, and placed inside the microwave oven for dying at the temperature of 60°C for 48 hours. The dried samples were ground by a mortar and packaged in clean, leveled zipper bags for the further procedures. Following that, 0.5 gram of the dried samples (or equivalent) and five milliliters of concentrated suprapur grade nitric acid (HNO3; Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) were added to a 50-milliliter Folin digestion tube. The mixture was heated to the temperature of 120-130°C for 16 hours and treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). After digestion, the samples were diluted to 50 milliliters by high-purity water (18 MΩ cm) in a MILLI-Q water purification system (Merck Millipore, Darmstadt, Germany). Each sample was analyzed in triplicate to obtain the mean values of the major and minor components using the ICP-OES. Notably, the samples were analyzed by the ICPOES in Japan (Varian Vista-PRO CCD Simultaneous ICP-OES, Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan) in optimum conditions. ICP-OES is currently one of the most multipurpose methods of inorganic analysis and is a rapid, multi-element technique used to measure major essential elements, such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), as well as trace metals such as lead (Pb), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). 2.3. Health Risk Assessment Data analysis was performed in SPSS and Microsoft Excel sheet to calculate the mean values, maximum, minimum, recommended, and estimated daily intake, hazard index, and percentages. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of the target metals in the fruits and vegetables depended on the metal concentrations in the samples based on fresh weight. The daily intake of vegetables and body weight were calculated.

Source of Information: J Hum Environ Health Promot. 2020; 6(3): 106-14.

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Achievement/Findings:

The measurement of essential elements or minerals concentration in fruits and vegetables is important for human health benefits and health risk assessment during food consumption. In this study, we evaluated the concentrations of essential metals or minerals in 10 types of fruits and vegetables and compared the data with the nutritional values of the fruits and vegetables. According to the results, all the values were acceptable, and the consumption of the samples had no major health risks. However, some data were lacking since the literature in this regard was mainly focused on heavy metals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet established the RfD for some elements. Therefore, the outcomes of similar investigations could be used as a tool for farmers and decision-makers to adopt and implement action-oriented, sustainable strategies to save the population by minimizing the issues associated with nutritional deficiency.

Knowledge Management: Journal