Carcinogenic and Non-Carcinogenic Risk Assessment of Some Heavy Metals Due to Consumption of Raisin Produced in Malayer City

The contamination of agricultural products to heavy metals possesses one of the serious health hazards to consumers, as some of these elements have carcinogenic properties and others can cause damage to various organs of the human body.

The purpose of this study was to determine the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of some heavy metals due to the consumption of raisin produced in Malayer city.

For the purpose of this study, 50 raisin samples including Sultanu raisin (13 samples), Golden raisin (12 samples), Shade-dried raisin (13 samples), and Sun-dried raisin (12 samples) were collected from industrially and traditionally produced raisin. Then, heavy metals including cadmium, lead, nickel, copper, zinc, and arsenic were measured in the samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The quantitative risk assessment was conducted based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency method.

According to the obtained results, the mean concentrations of arsenic, copper, and nickel in raisin samples were 0.17 ± 0.06 (accepted level 0.1), 3.07 ± 0.09 (accepted level 0.3), and 4.72 ± 0.99 (accepted level 0.5) mg/kg. The highest average concentration of heavy metals was related to Sultanu and Golden raisins. The highest estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and carcinogenic risk (CR) belonged to the nickel element.

The results showed that the mean concentrations of As, Ni, and Cu in raisin samples were higher than the level recommended by the FAO/WHO. The EDI level of all elements in all types of raisin was less than the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) proposed by the FAO/WHO and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the Iranian Institute for Standard and Industrial Research (IRIS). Thus, their long-term uses do not have any specific non-carcinogenic effect on consumers while they can possess carcinogenic effects.