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. 2024 May 12;13(10):1500.
doi: 10.3390/foods13101500.

Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead Levels in School Meals and Their Risk Assessment in Municipalities in Bahia, Brazil

Larissa da S Santos  1 , Fabiana F Chagas  2 , Martinho G Dinis Martinho  1 , Erival A Gomes-Júnior  1 , Mariângela V Lopes Silva  3 , José A Menezes-Filho  1
Affiliations

Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead Levels in School Meals and Their Risk Assessment in Municipalities in Bahia, Brazil

Larissa da S Santos et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Background: School meals represent a significant supply of nutrients for children in Brazil, especially those in conditions of social vulnerability.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in meals served in public elementary schools in four municipalities in the state of Bahia, Brazil, and assess the risk posed to children's health.

Methods: Ninety-six samples were collected from 16 schools, freeze-dried, and subjected to microwave-assisted digestion. The As, Cd, and Pb levels were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The risk assessment was based on calculating each element's hazard quotient (HQ).

Results: None of the samples reached or exceeded the tolerable levels for the elements analyzed. Pb was the metal that obtained the most significant result, reaching maximum levels of 39-157 µg·kg-1.

Conclusions: No element exceeded the PTWI proposed by JECFA; thus, the toxic metal content in school meals poses a negligible risk to children's health.

Keywords: food security; inorganic contaminants; risk assessment; school meals; schoolchildren; toxic metals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Geographical location of the study municipalities. A—Brumado; B—Jacobina; C—Jaguaripe; D—Salvador (Capital of the state of Bahia).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Metal content in µg/kg (w.w.) in school meals served in the four municipalities classified by the major food groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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