Determination of Toxic Heavy Metals and Essential Minerals in Commercial Soft Drinks in Bangladesh: Implications for Human Health

IF 3.7 4区农林科学 Q3 BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Journal of food protection Pub Date : 2026-02-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-07 DOI:10.1016/j.jfp.2026.100699

Md. Sakhawot Hossain , Fardib Mahbub , Lisa Khanum , Nizam Uddin , Sharmin Asha , Md. Mostafa Kamal , Islam Md. Shimul

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Soft drinks are widely consumed nonalcoholic beverages worldwide, and their increasing intake across all age groups in Bangladesh raises significant public health concerns about potential chemical contamination. This study measured toxic heavy metals (Cr, As, Pb) and essential minerals (Fe, Cu, Mg) in 40 soft drink samples from 20 brands, packaged in plastic bottles and canned in Bangladesh. Metal quantification was conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), and health risk assessments were performed based on Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Total Target Hazard Quotient (TTHQ), and Target Carcinogenic Risk (TCR). Results showed that the mean concentrations ranged from 0.025–0.31 mg/L for Cr, 0.008–0.12 mg/L for As, 0.18–0.95 mg/L for Cu, 0.95–4.62 mg/L for Fe, 0.015–0.18 mg/L for Pb, and 2.85–11.24 mg/L for Mg. Several samples exceeded WHO/FAO permissible limits, particularly for Cr, As, Fe, and Pb. EDI values for most metals were within recommended thresholds; Pb (0.004–0.048 mg/kg/day) and Fe (0.025–0.12 mg/kg/day) exceeded safe intake limits in some samples. THQ values were <1 for individual metals, while cumulative TTHQ values reached up to 1.86 in some samples, indicating potential long-term noncarcinogenic health risks. TCR values for Cr (1.18 × 10⁻⁴ plastic; 5.68 × 10⁻⁵ canned) and As (1.26 × 10⁻⁴ plastic; 6.26 × 10⁻⁵ canned) exceeded the acceptable risk limit (1 × 10⁻⁴), suggesting carcinogenic potential. These findings emphasize the need for routine monitoring, stronger regulatory frameworks, and proactive policies to ensure the safety of soft drinks and protect public health in the future.

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孟加拉国商业软饮料中有毒重金属和必需矿物质的测定：对人体健康的影响。

软饮料是世界范围内广泛消费的非酒精饮料，在孟加拉国各年龄组中，软饮料的摄入量不断增加，引起了对潜在化学污染的重大公共卫生关切。本研究测量了孟加拉国20个品牌的40种软饮料样品中的有毒重金属（Cr、As、Pb）和必需矿物质（Fe、Cu、Mg），这些饮料包装在塑料瓶和罐头中。采用电感耦合等离子体光学发射光谱法（ICP-OES）进行金属定量，并根据估计每日摄入量（EDI）、目标危害商（THQ）、总目标危害商（TTHQ）和目标致癌风险（TCR）进行健康风险评估。结果表明：Cr的平均浓度为0.025 ~ 0.31 mg/L， As的平均浓度为0.008 ~ 0.12 mg/L， Cu的平均浓度为0.18 ~ 0.95 mg/L， Fe的平均浓度为0.95 ~ 4.62 mg/L， Pb的平均浓度为0.015 ~ 0.18 mg/L， mg的平均浓度为2.85 ~ 11.24 mg/L。一些样品超过了世卫组织/粮农组织允许的限度，特别是铬、砷、铁和铅。大多数金属的EDI值在推荐阈值范围内，铅（0.004-0.048 mg/kg/day）和铁（0.025-0.12 mg/kg/day）在一些样品中超过了安全摄入量限制。THQ值为-4塑料；5.68×10-5罐装)和As （1.26×10-4塑料；6.26×10-5罐装）超过了可接受的风险限度（1×10-4），表明有致癌潜力。这些发现强调了日常监测、更强有力的监管框架和积极主动的政策的必要性，以确保软饮料的安全，并在未来保护公众健康。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of food protection 工程技术-生物工程与应用微生物

CiteScore

4.20

自引率

5.00%

发文量

296

审稿时长

2.5 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Food Protection® (JFP) is an international, monthly scientific journal in the English language published by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). JFP publishes research and review articles on all aspects of food protection and safety. Major emphases of JFP are placed on studies dealing with: Tracking, detecting (including traditional, molecular, and real-time), inactivating, and controlling food-related hazards, including microorganisms (including antibiotic resistance), microbial (mycotoxins, seafood toxins) and non-microbial toxins (heavy metals, pesticides, veterinary drug residues, migrants from food packaging, and processing contaminants), allergens and pests (insects, rodents) in human food, pet food and animal feed throughout the food chain; Microbiological food quality and traditional/novel methods to assay microbiological food quality; Prevention of food-related hazards and food spoilage through food preservatives and thermal/non-thermal processes, including process validation; Food fermentations and food-related probiotics; Safe food handling practices during pre-harvest, harvest, post-harvest, distribution and consumption, including food safety education for retailers, foodservice, and consumers; Risk assessments for food-related hazards; Economic impact of food-related hazards, foodborne illness, food loss, food spoilage, and adulterated foods; Food fraud, food authentication, food defense, and foodborne disease outbreak investigations.