Heavy metals content of selected key foods in Bangladesh

Background and objectives Despite the well‐known essential and/or potentially toxic roles of heavy metals there is a lack of valid and reliable data on heavy metals concentration of key foods in Bangladesh. This study aimed at estimating the concentrations of selected heavy metals from prioritized key foods. Methods The heavy metals content were estimated from nationally representative samples using ICPMS. Results The concentrations of toxic metals detected ranged from 0.008 to 2.53, 0.006 to 34.22, and 0.06 to 20.61□μg/100g of edible portion (EP) on fresh weight basis for Cd, As and Pb, respectively. Among the key foods, the highest level of Cd was detected in brinjal while that of As and Pb in tilapia fish and mango, respectively. The content of potentially toxic heavy metals per 100g of EP on fresh weight basis ranged from 1.01 (carrot) to 40.77 (wheat flour), 8.92 (milk) to 910.63 (lentil), 7.37 (banana) to 52.6 (pangas fish), 0.22 (pangas fish) to 108.13 (lentil), 0.16 (banana) to 14.54 (bean), 11.44 (pangas fish) to 2782.71 (wheat flour), 0.18 (chicken breast) to 90.70 (lentil), 0.012 (egg) to 0.52 (rice), 0.67 (pangas fish) to 394.85 (wheat flour), and 0.001 (chicken leg) to 2.53 μg (brinjal) of Se, Cu, Cr, Mo, V, Mn, Ni, Sb, Ba and Ag, respectively. Conclusion Chronic dietary exposure through key foods particularly brinjal, tilapia fish, mango, pangas fish, lentil, wheat flour, and rice may offer potential health risk as an added burden of malnutrition to Bangladeshi population.