Lead Contamination on Foods & Food Products and its exposure to human

Pramod Koirala and Dambar Bdr. khadka

Department of Food Technology and quality control, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal

Email: dambarkhadkaDftqc@gmail.com,dambarkhadka@yahoo.com

Abstract: Heavy metals can enter a water supply by industrial and consumer waste, or even from acidic
rain breaking down soils and releasing heavy metals into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater, Traces of
lead are found in almost all food. A guideline for control and prevention along with development of
standard of lead contamination has to be developrd to reduce contamination on food in developing country
like Nepal. Analysis data on Annual Bulletin 2056-2062 published by DFTQC,.shows that Lead
contamination found altogether in 41.14 % food sample analyzed during this 6 year period.. The most
susceptible food item contaminated with Lead are found as rhizome containing spices, canned fish, dried
and smoke fish and shrimps respectively in increased order. Among all detected sample, only some Fish
and Fish product were found to contain higher than satuatory limits.

Key Words: Food ,Contamination, Heavy metal, Toxic metal, Lead

Introduction

Many metals naturally present on earths' surface are essential component of biological system. The toxic
metal and metalloid of dietary significance including Lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury are not needed
for biological process and tend to be toxic to living organism even at low concentration (Dingle 1992).
Heavy metals can enter a water supply by industrial and consumer waste, or even from acidic rain breaking
down soils and releasing heavy metals into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Heavy metals are
dangerous because they tend to bioaccumulate. Bioaccumulation means an increase in the concentration of
a chemical in a biological organism over time, compared to the chemical's concentration in the
environment. Compounds accumulate in living things any time as they are taken up and stored faster than
they are broken down (metabolized) or excreted. (Lenntech 2006).The main threats to human health from
heavy metals are associated with exposure to lead,
cadmium, mercury and arsenic. These metals
have been extensively studied and their effects on
human health regularly reviewed by international
bodies such as the WHO. Humans have used
heavy metals for thousands of years. Although
several adverse health effects of heavy metals
have been known for a long time, exposure to
heavy metals continues, and is even increasing in
some parts of the world, in particular in less
developed countries (Lars Järup). However, In
Nepal it is still matter of study.

Source of Lead Contamination on Food and

Food Products

Lead is a ubiquitous metal. Traces of lead are

found in almost all food. Lead contamination in
food may arise from numerous sources Fig:1 heavy metals from the first step of the pollution
including environmental sources like air, soil, to the final step in the human body by means the
water. Lead contamination also occurs through food. (Heavy metal cycle presented by Lenntech)
use of Lead alloy or compounds for processing materials, including solder, glazes, enamel, wrapping
materials containing lead and colored with lead containing dyes, and from leads contaminated fertilizer and
insecticides. Airborne lead from industrial emission falls onto crops or soil and is absorbed by plants.
Inappropriate application of pesticide, fertilizer and sewage sludge can contaminated the agricultural crops..
Contaminated plant, soil and water are, in turn a source of Livestock and crops and finally to Food (Fig 1).
Lead solder used in making cans can also contaminate food; however, food manufacturers have eliminated
the use of lead-soldered cans. Infants can also absorb lead from their mothers' bodies through breast milk.
Lead in diets mostly come from Canned foods, water, game, meat, milk, and solder used in can seams
(Settle 1980).

Effect of Lead Exposure to Human Health

Lead exposure is most serious for young children because they absorb lead more easily than adults absorb
and are more susceptible to its harmful effects. The system of body that is most affected by Lead poisoning
are nervous, renal, gastrointestinal and haematopoietiec system (Browning E 1969). Even low-level
exposure may harm the intellectual development, behavior, size and hearing of infants. During pregnancy,
especially in the last trimester, lead can cross the placenta and affect the unborn child. Female workers
exposed to high levels of lead have more miscarriages and stillbirths. About 10 % of ingesting Lead is
known to be absorbed through gastrointestinal tract of adults of which nearly three-fourth is excreted in
urine (Brown 1990). Lead is recognized as a cumulative general metabolic poison. Effect in children occurs
at lower levels than in adults (Bamji 1999).

The intake of leads through diets in urbans area in south India has been found to be in the range of 005-008
mg per day (Krishna Murthi 1991). According to PFA (1954) the satuatory limit of the Lead for canned
meat and fish shall not be exceed 1.5 mg per kg of leaf in meat and fish products and for other food 2.5 mg
per Kg.

Situation of Lead contamination on food and Food Products in Nepal

Lead in the environment arises from both natural and

anthropogenic sources. In the general non-smoking, adult %Frequency of Food detected with Lead
Contamination
population the major exposure pathway is from food and
100.0
water. Food, air, water and dust/soil are the major potential .0
120.00
100

%Lead
exposure pathways for infants and young children. For 100.00
% contaminated

Contaminated
3

80.00
infants up to 4 or 5 months of age, air, milk formulae and
64.

1
60.00
water are the significant sources. lead is among the most
41.
3.3

40.00
33

recycled non-ferrous metals and its secondary production has

16.
14.

20.00
4.5

therefore grown steadily in spite of declining lead prices.

0.0

0.0

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

0.00
Today, industrial activities dominate the global flux of lead in
Can Fish
Turmeric

Milk

Cereals &
Shrimp
Ginger

Other

Vegetables

the environment (Flegal and Smith 1995; Nriagu and Pacyna

1988) and have become the predominant sources of Foods

contaminant lead in many food items. Exposure to heavy metals

continues, and is even increasing in some parts of the world, in Source: Annual Bulletin, DFTQC,
2056-2062
particular in less developed countries (Lars Järup)
In context of Nepal, Lead exposure and effect to human health still the subject to study. As food is
main source through which it, can intake to human. Prevention and control of Lead contamination should
be considered to reduce the Lead contamination on food and food products. Even in Nepal, actual situation
of lead contamination on food commodities is still in an unpredictable stage due to limited analytical
datas.However some worked for Lead contamination on some food and food products were found to be
carried out by DFTQC laboratory in Nepal.
While observing the analytical data published on Annual Bulletin of DFTQC from 2056 to 2061,
the, collected from different part of country. Among them 41.4%, samples were found to be contaminated
with Lead. While comprising the contamination Level, Fish and fish products and Rhizome containing
spices were found to be most susceptible food groups contaminated with Lead. Even though in case of raw
fish, no such contamination were found. The lead concentration found in dried fish, smoke fish, shrimp and
canned fish were respectively 2.19-8.62 ppm, 1.48-7.8 ppm, 2.55-7.50 ppm and 0.18-0.82 ppm. However,
in case of rhizome containing spices, lead concentration found in range of 0.37-3.82 ppm, which was below
the max statutory value prescribed

Table 1: situation of Lead contamination Level on food and

foods products from 2056-2062
Source: Annual Bulletin, DFTQC,
 by PFA (< 10 ppm).
However, in case of Lead range
fish product, some Food Commodity Total contaminated % PPM
sample had found to 1. Spices
be crossed the Turmeric powder 66 3 4.55 0.53-3.82
maximum limit of lead Termeric Rhizomes 14 2 14.29 1.18-2.15
concentration as
Ginger 12 4 33.33 0.37-2.71
prescribed by PFA
standards for fish Onion 2 0 0.00 ND
products. Other spices 6 1 16.67 2.5
2. Fish & Fish Products
The average Lead Raw fish 10 0 0.00 ND
concentrations on Can Fish 14 9 64.29 0.18-0.82
most of food did not 2.19-8.62
exceed the values Dried Fish/ smoked fish 98 98 100.00 1.48-7.8
allowed by the concentration of lead,
cadmium residues were
maximum tolerate examined in 299 food
limit mentioned by samples Shrimp 6 6 100.00 2.55-7.50
PFA .But, in a 3. Milk &Milk products
relatively small Agetide 6 0 0.00 ND
amount of samples,
Milk powder 11 0 0.00 ND
the concentrations of
4. Fruit juice 5 0 0.00 ND
heavy metals were
found highest than 5. Vegetables 5 0 0.00 ND
6. Carbonated
tolerated level Beverages 37 0 0.00 ND
especially in Fish and 7. Cereals & cereals
Fish products products 7 0 0.00 ND
including shrimps. Total 299 123 41.14

Table 1: Situation of Lead contamination level on Food &Food products in

Nepal Source: Annual Bulletin, DFTQC ,2056-2062

Conclusion:

The main threats to human health from heavy metals are associated with exposure to lead, cadmium,
mercury and arsenic. These metals have been extensively studied and their effects on human health
regularly reviewed by national and international bodies. Lead poisoning, which is so severe as to
cause evident illness. In developing country like Nepal Lead, contamination on food
and its control is still in pre-diagonalysis stage. Development of Mechanism for
identification possible source of lead contamination, standard and guideline to
prevention and reduction of lead contamination on food most reliable approach to be
improves to combat the threat of heavy metal like lead exposure. As Lead in the food
arises from both natural and anthropogenic sources This approaches should support Good
Agriculture practice and Good manufacture practice based on Agriculture, Drinking
water, Food Ingredient and processing, production and use of packaging and storage
products along with consumer practices.

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