Domagalska Joanna, Hauda Izabela, Rusin Monika, Buczkowska Marta, Górski Michał, Słoma-Krześlak Małgorzata
Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
Graduates of the Faculty of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
Environ Monit Assess. 2025 Feb 3;197(3):230. doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-13668-5.
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the content of heavy metals, including cadmium, lead, zinc, arsenic, copper and nickel, in cereal bars intended for consumption by children and adolescents. The study also aims to identify factors that differentiate the content of these products. The study material comprised 50 cereal bars, which were consumed by a population group of children and adolescents. The determination of zinc, arsenic, copper and nickel was accomplished through the utilisation of optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma excitation on a spectrometer, while cadmium and lead were ascertained by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization (ET-AAS) on an atomic absorption spectrometer. In the heavy metal analysis of the cereal bars, lead was not detected in contents above the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.10 mg/kg. However, three samples exceeded the maximum permissible levels of cadmium, with contents of 0.046 mg/kg in two cases and 0.043 mg/kg in one case, while the minimum determined cadmium content was 0.011 mg/kg. The arsenic content of the samples oscillated between 0.56 and 4.16 mg/kg. Although there are no established standards for nickel, zinc and copper, their contents are of potential health significance in the context of chronic exposure, requiring detailed assessment. The results of the statistical analysis showed significant differences in copper and zinc depending on product composition (p ≤ 0.0001), suggesting higher contents of these metals in oatmeal-dominant products, possibly due to specific raw material sources or variation in the production process. The homogeneity of nickel, cadmium and arsenic contents regardless of product composition was confirmed by the absence of significant statistical differences (p > 0.05). The analysis of geographical variation showed that products of Polish origin were characterised by higher copper and cadmium contents compared to products from Germany, suggesting a potential influence of local environmental and technological conditions. Hazard quotient (HQ and HI) calculations for the analysed scenarios showed that the limits were exceeded, especially for products with a predominance of oatmeal and Polish production, highlighting the need for further research into the sources of these contaminants and their health implications.
本研究的主要目的是评估供儿童和青少年食用的谷物棒中重金属（包括镉、铅、锌、砷、铜和镍）的含量。该研究还旨在确定区分这些产品含量的因素。研究材料包括50根谷物棒，由儿童和青少年群体食用。锌、砷、铜和镍的测定是通过在光谱仪上利用电感耦合等离子体激发的光发射光谱法完成的，而镉和铅则通过原子吸收光谱仪上的电热原子化（ET-AAS）原子吸收光谱法确定。在谷物棒的重金属分析中，未检测到铅含量超过0.10 mg/kg的定量限（LOQ）。然而，有三个样品的镉含量超过了最大允许水平，其中两个样品的含量为0.046 mg/kg，一个样品的含量为0.043 mg/kg，而测定的最低镉含量为0.011 mg/kg。样品中的砷含量在0.56至4.16 mg/kg之间波动。虽然镍、锌和铜没有既定标准，但在长期接触的情况下，它们的含量具有潜在的健康意义，需要详细评估。统计分析结果表明，铜和锌的含量因产品成分而异（p≤0.0001），这表明以燕麦片为主的产品中这些金属的含量较高，可能是由于特定的原材料来源或生产过程中的差异。镍、镉和砷含量不受产品成分影响的同质性通过无显著统计差异（p>0.05）得到证实。地理差异分析表明，与德国产品相比，波兰原产的产品铜和镉含量较高，这表明当地环境和技术条件可能产生影响。对分析情景的危害商（HQ和HI）计算表明，超过了限值，特别是对于以燕麦片为主且产自波兰的产品，这突出表明需要进一步研究这些污染物的来源及其对健康的影响。
