Assessment of dietary exposure to heavy metals in marketed vegetables and fruits of Wasit Province, IraqWisam Thamer Al-Mayah

This study aimed to shed light on the contamination of the most important foods with heavy metals, which were collectedfrom vendors in the most crowded markets in the Wasit Province, Iraq. The content of lead and cadmium in elevenspecies of vegetables and fruits was estimated, as they are among the most dangerous toxic foods contaminated withheavy metals, which are among the most important components of the basic meals of Iraqi citizens. Atomic absorptionspectrophotometer model Phoenix – 986 AAS is used to assess heavy metals. The results showed that the concentrationof lead in some vegetables ranged between (0.021 to 1.05 μg/g) and in fruits it reached (0.25 to 0.39 μg/g). As for thecadmium element, the results showed that its concentration was less than the concentration of lead, as it reached (0.073to 0.182 μg/g) in vegetables and (0.065 to 0.133 μg/g) in fruits. The study revealed potential health risks associated withthe consumption of different types of vegetables and fruits. The results showed that the concentration of lead andcadmium in most of the studied samples exceeded the permissible limit recommended by the World Health Organizationand the Food and Agriculture Organization, which may assist Iraqi regulatory bodies develop new strategies to reducerisks to humans.

Assessment of dietary exposure to heavy metals in marketed vegetables and fruits of Wasit Province, IraqWisam Thamer Al-Mayah Keywords:

Food , Vegetables , Fruits , Heavy Metals , Atomic absorption spectrometry