Levels of selected essential and non‐essential metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe and Zn) and those of macro‐nutrients (Ca, K, Mg and Na) are estimated in 15 different seasonal fruits available in local Pakistan markets. The wet digestion oxidation method was used for the analysis of samples by the flame atomic absorption technique. The results indicated almost 100 percent incidence of occurrence of trace metals and macro‐nutrients in all fruits. The highest concentration was observed for zinc, ranging between 0.13 and 79.9mg/kg, wet weight, respectively for banana and mango. The iron levels ranged from 0.55 to 44.8mg/kg, wet weight, for pomegranate and mango. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Pb and Cu remained at marginal levels, except for certain fruits where the concentrations were very high. The data are compared with allowed safe limits laid down by WHO.
Levels of selected essential metals (Cu, Fe and Zn) and non‐essential metals (Cd and Pb) were determined by the wet digestion based atomic absorption flame spectrophotometric method in twenty canned foodstuffs of local and foreign origin. The study revealed that on average, the concentrations of Fe, Cd and Pb in local foodstuff were more than those found in imported canned products. The contents of Fe and Pb in local canned food were almost double that of the counterpart imported versions. Analysis of the construction materials of the tins indicated that some metals, such as Pb, had levels twice as high as those found in the foreign tin containers. The results showed that the Cu concentration in various foodstuffs ranged between 0.04 and 8.88mg/kg, Fe between 3.07 and 126mg/kg, Zn between 0.19 and 22.8mg/kg, Cd between 0.15 and 1.16mg/kg and Pb between 0.11 and 2.04mg/kg. The results are compared with the levels of metals in corresponding data from the literature.
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