Bioaccumulation of heavy metals, assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk in various spices

Spices consumption is the main pathway for human exposure to certain environmental pollutants. This study was aimed to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganes (Mn), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in different parts of various spices samples in Arba Minch Ethiopia. The average levels of metals in white cumin, fenugreek, black cumin, turmeric, basil, cardamom, and coriander were varied in the range 0.35–1.8, 1.02–11.96, 1.69–32.19, 20.74–38.98, 7.38–26.01, 2.96–9.57 and 5.38–44.63 mg/kg for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the robust linkage between Zn, Cr, and Mn in PC1, Cu and Pb in PC2, and Cd and Fe in PC3 comprising 39.10 %, 25.72 % and 18.57 % of the total variance, respectively. The average daily intake values were calculated in the range 5.22 × 10^–5–2.69 × 10^–4, 1.52 × 10^–4–1.78 × 10^–3, 2.53 × 10^–4–4.81 × 10^–3, 3.09 × 10^–3–5.82 × 10^–3, 1.1 × 10^–3–3.88 × 10^–3, 4.42 × 10^–4–1.43 × 10^–3, and 8.18 × 10^–4–6.66 × 10^–3, for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn, respectively. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (except in white cumin and fenugreek) for heavy metals in various spices were lower than the acceptable limit of unity (THQ and HI $<$1). The carcinogenic risk values were in the acceptable threshold limit (1 × 10^–6–1 × 10^–4), indicating that consuming different spices in the studied area will not pose a potential health risk to human health.