Massadeh Adnan Mohammad, Alzarieni Kawthar Zeyad, Alzaghol Hebah Ziyad, Smadi Mahmoud Mustafa
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2025 Feb;87:127585. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2024.127585. Epub 2024 Dec 27.
Infant formulas are the primary source of nutrition for infants and babies when breastfeeding is unavailable, as they are enriched with a variety of macro- and micronutrients to improve their nutritional value and satisfy the different needs of babies. Recently, there has been a rising concern about toxic metal levels in infant formulas, as highlighted by various studies. However, there are currently no sufficient studies focusing on toxic metal levels of infant formulas in Jordan. The current study aims to determine the levels of 25 metals, including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Li, Ti, V, Ga, Sr, Ag, Ba, Bi, Th, U, Al, Cd, In, and Pb, in infant formulas (starter infant formula, follow-on formula, and growing-up formula) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and evaluate their safety and quality.
The metal compositions of 37 infant formula samples collected from different Jordanian pharmacies were determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after digesting the samples with 9 mL of HNO (70 %) and 3 mL of HO (30 %) using the microwave-assisted digestion technique. The possible health risks associated with the exposure to Cd, Pb, Al, and Ni in infant formulas were evaluated using estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, and hazard index calculations. Also, method validation, including accuracy, precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantification, was performed.
The results revealed that follow-on formula (intended for 7-12-month-old babies) had the highest mean concentration of all studied metals, except for zinc, which had the highest mean concentration in starter infant formula (intended for less than 6-month-old babies). Also, 72.97 % and 89.20 % of the tested samples had Pb and Cd levels that exceeded the European permissible limit, respectively. Regarding the estimated daily intake (EDI), babies aged 7-12 months were found to be the most exposed to Cd and Pb toxicity, while babies aged less than 6 months were found to be the most exposed to Ni toxicity. Unfortunately, the overall non-carcinogenic negative adverse effects (hazard index HI) of Cd and Pb for babies aged 7-12 months exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1.
Based on the results, the consumption of infant formulas sold in Jordan may pose serious health risks to babies, with Cd and Pb levels in follow-on formulas (posing the highest risk). The source of contamination in infant formulas may be contaminated raw materials, the manufacturing process, packaging, or storage. So, strict regulations ought to be established to safeguard the health of babies.
当无法进行母乳喂养时，婴儿配方奶粉是婴幼儿的主要营养来源，因为它们富含各种宏量和微量营养素，以提高其营养价值并满足婴儿的不同需求。最近，各种研究强调了人们对婴儿配方奶粉中有毒金属含量的日益关注。然而，目前尚无足够的研究关注约旦婴儿配方奶粉中的有毒金属含量。本研究旨在使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）测定婴儿配方奶粉（婴儿起始配方奶粉、后续配方奶粉和成长配方奶粉）中25种金属的含量，包括钠、镁、钾、钙、铬、铁、锰、钴、镍、铜、锌、锂、钛、钒、镓、锶、银、钡、铋、钍、铀、铝、镉、铟和铅，并评估其安全性和质量。
采用微波辅助消解技术，用9毫升硝酸（70%）和3毫升过氧化氢（30%）消解从约旦不同药店收集的37份婴儿配方奶粉样品，然后使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）测定其金属成分。通过估计每日摄入量、目标危害商数和危害指数计算，评估婴儿配方奶粉中镉、铅、铝和镍暴露可能带来的健康风险。此外，还进行了方法验证，包括准确性、精密度、检测限和定量限。
结果显示，后续配方奶粉（适用于7至12个月大的婴儿）中所有研究金属的平均浓度最高，但锌除外，锌在婴儿起始配方奶粉（适用于6个月以下婴儿）中的平均浓度最高。此外，分别有72.97%和89.20%的测试样品中铅和镉的含量超过了欧洲允许限值。关于估计每日摄入量（EDI），发现7至12个月大的婴儿最易受到镉和铅毒性的影响，而6个月以下的婴儿最易受到镍毒性的影响。不幸的是，7至12个月大婴儿镉和铅的总体非致癌负面不良影响（危害指数HI）超过了可接受阈值1。
根据研究结果，约旦销售的婴儿配方奶粉的消费可能会对婴儿构成严重的健康风险，后续配方奶粉中的镉和铅含量（风险最高）。婴儿配方奶粉的污染来源可能是受污染的原材料、生产过程、包装或储存。因此，应该制定严格的法规来保障婴儿的健康。
