Heavy Metals Investigation and the Potential Risk Assessment in the Salt of Maharloo Lake and Korsia mine

One of the most important issues that has always threatened the health of human societies is the contamination of food with heavy metals and reaching the danger limit. To conduct this research in a case study and laboratory work, the amounts of heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni and Fe) and their Target hazard quotient of human health through salt consumption of Maharloo Lake and Korsia salt mine were investigated for both child and adults groups. For this study, Maharloo Lake and Korsia salt mine were sampled and their heavy metals were determined. The daily intake of metals was determined and compared with the reference value. The target hazard quotient, THQ for all metals of Maharloo Lake salt for adults and child was less than one. This means that the hazards of the proposed metals are within the acceptable limits. For korsica salt, the THQ for lead metal (for child group) was more than one and for other metals (child and adult groups) was less than one, indicating that non-cancerous adverse effects were likely to occur in childs. Among the proposed metals, the highest THQ was obtained for lead metal and the lowest one for zinc metal for Maharloo salt and korcia salt mine. The Hazard index for adults and child was less than one for Maharloo salt and more than one for Korsia salt, indicating that there are adverse effects of non-cancerous diseases due to the consumption of heavy elements caused by the consumption of this salt. Salt consumption threshold for hazard level 1, which is negligible in terms of chronic hazard, for Maharloo Lake salt, for child and adults were 1003.8 and 4133.4 mg/day and for Korsica salt for child and adults were 13.2 and 543.5 mg/day, respectively.