Heavy metal contamination and health risk evaluation of chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller) consumed in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to determine heavy metals and metalloids in twenty-eight chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller) samples consumed in Turkey by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and evaluate health risks for humans through the consumption of chestnut samples. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn analyzed in chestnut samples varied from 537 to 635, 608 to 5333, 347 to 972, 207 to 8619, 12,739 to 86,310, 278 to 7549, 8676 to 67,622, 1068 to 18,661 and 3625 to 12,876 µg/kg (dry weight), respectively. The concentrations of Cd and Pb were above the maximum limits determined by the Turkish Food Codex. Healthy risks caused by the heavy metals in the consumed chestnut samples were evaluated by estimating the average daily intake of metal, health risk index (HRI), and total HRI. These results revealed that there is no possible health risk to consumers due to the intake of chestnut samples studied under the current consumption rate.

KEYWORDS:

• Chestnut
• heavy metal
• daily intake of metal
• health risk index
• Turkey

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank Merve Zurnacı, an expert at Kastamonu University Central Research Laboratory, who helped to carry out the heavy metal analysis of chestnut samples.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ contributions

Turfan and Kurnaz collected soil samples and prepared the sample for heavy metal analyses. Turhan and Kurnaz ensured the successful completion of the analysis measurements. Turhan wrote the manuscript and all the authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.