Heavy metals in some date palm fruit cultivars in Saudi Arabia and their health risk assessment

Figures & data

Figure 1. Different locations of collected date cultivars in Saudi Arabia. (a) Alkarj. (b) Al-Qaseem. (c) Al-Madina. (d) Al-Hassa

Table 1. Recovery and LOD of tested heavy metals

Element	Wavelength (nm)	Recovery % (Mean±SD)	LOD (µg/L)
Al	308.22	90.25 ± 1.25	5.0
As	193.70	92.65 ± 2.56	5.0
Cr	267.72	97.43 ± 1.86	2.5
Pb	220.35	95.25 ± 1.62	5.0
Cd	226.50	98.27 ± 2.38	2.5
Sb	206.83	101.05 ± 2.49	2.5

Table 2. Mean squares for location and heavy metal contents in date palm

Source	DF	Aluminum	Arsenic	Chromium	Lead	Cadmium	Antimony
Date Types (Location)	6	428.468*	0.62325**	0.54572*	6241.96*	0.10784**	0.00534**
Error	14	0.625	0.00071	0.00049	4.61	0.00016	0.00002

* = Significant.

** = Highly significant.

Table 3. Mean concentration of toxic heavy metals in dates (mg/kg)

Metals	S Mabroum (Al-Karj)	S Normal (Al-Karj)	Rashadya (Al-Qaseem)	Barny (Al-Madina)	Eklas (Al-Hasaa)	Safawy (Al-Madina)	Kadary (Al-Qaseem)	Mean	*MAL
Al	1.141^E	5.513^C	5.099^C	7.047^B	15.202^A	4.151^D	0.923^E	5.582^B	–
As	0.095^DE	0.109^CD	0.079^E	0.078^E	0.584^A	0.132^B	0.121^BC	0.171^C	0.1
Cr	0.070^B	0.042^C	0.508^A	0.031^C	0.071^B	0.085^B	0.045^C	0.122^C	2.3
Pb	2.859^C	0.493^D	50.28^A	0.479^D	9.417^B	0.665^D	1.206^D	9.343^A	0.3
Cd	0.159^B	0.203^A	0.025^E	0.004^F	0.084^D	0.027^E	0.131^C	0.090^C	0.2
Sb	0.046^B	0.017^E	0.032^D	0.073^A	0.038^C	0.040^C	0.044^B	0.041^C	–
Mean	0.728^E	1.063^CD	9.337^A	1.285^C	4.233^B	0.850^DE	0.412^F

Similar lettering in a row shows no significant difference

*MAL means maximum allowable limit (mg/kg) prescribed by WHO/FAO 2011.^[34]

– means no limit defined

Table 4. Estimated daily intakes of heavy metals through dates in relation to Provisional maximum tolerable daily intake

*EDIs	Sakay Mabroum	Sakay Normal	Rashadya Al-Qaseem	Barny Al-Madina	Eklas Al-Ahsaa	Safawy Al-Madina	Kadary	**Provisional maximum tolerable daily intake
Al	114.05	551.26	509.89	704.70	1520.17	415.05	92.30	8571
As	9.51	10.90	7.93	7.75	58.37	13.18	12.10	25.2
Cr	7.00	4.21	50.82	3.14	7.08	8.45	4.50	6000
Pb	285.90	49.33	5028.00	47.85	941.69	66.45	120.60	214
Cd	15.89	20.28	2.52	0.37	8.40	2.73	13.08	60
Sb	4.62	1.66	3.22	7.33	3.83	4.03	4.36	360

*Estimated daily intake µg/person/day/100 g Date Palm Fruit.

**Provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (µg/person/day).^[30–33]

Table 5. Health risk index (HRI) of date consumption due to heavy metals intake

*HRI	Sakay Mabroum	Sakay Normal	Rashadya Al-Qaseem	Barny Al-Madina	Eklas Al-Ahsaa	Safawy Al-Madina	Kadary	Oral Reference Dose
Al	0.037	0.181	0.167	0.231	0.498	0.136	0.030	0.043
As	0.167	0.192	0.140	0.136	1.028	0.232	0.213	0.0003
Cr	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	1.5
Pb	1.007	0.174	17.704	0.168	3.316	0.234	0.425	0.004
Cd	0.224	0.286	0.035	0.005	0.118	0.038	0.184	0.001
Sb	0.163	0.058	0.113	0.258	0.135	0.142	0.154	0.0004

*EDI (mg/kg/day)/Oral Ref. Dose (mg/kg/day).^[35–39]

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