Potentially toxic element contamination and health risk assessment in bottled mineral waters consumed in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the human health risk posed by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in 59 bottled mineral water (BMW) samples of 25 different brands marketed in Turkey. The concentrations of Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb in the BMW samples were analyzed using an ICP-OES and compared with maximum allowable concentrations (MACs). A higher concentration of As than MAC was detected in five BMW samples. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Al in the majority of BMW samples are higher than the MACs. The human health risk was evaluated for adults estimating non-carcinogenic risk index (HI), incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and total cancer risk (TCR). All HI values estimated for PTEs in BMW samples are less than one, except for one sample. ILCR values for Cd in approximately half of the BMW samples are above the upper limit.

KEYWORDS:

• Bottled mineral water
• potentially toxic elements
• non-carcinogenic risk
• carcinogenic risk index
• ICP-OES

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank Merve Zurnacı for helping with trace element analysis.

Author contribution

Kurnaz prepared the sample for potentially toxic element analysis. Kurnaz and Turhan ensured the successful completion of the analysis procedure. Turhan evaluated the results and wrote the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

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