Determination of Heavy Metals in Some Fruits, Vegetables and Fish by ICP-MS

Abstract

This study was designed to determine arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium levels in Spinacia oleracea (spinach), Daucus carota (carrot), Malus pumila (apple), Solanum tuberosum (potato) and canned Thunnus thynnus (tuna fish), Engraulis encrasicolus (anchovy fish), Salmo trutta labrax (sea trout) and Salmo trutta (farm trout). Samples were mixed, blended raw, weighed and placed in labeled sample cups. All samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Arsenic, Pb and Hg concentrations were lowest in potato; As, Cd and Pb concentrations were highest in spinach. As and Cd loads were highest in anchovy fish and Pb load was highest in canned tuna. Lead concentrations of all fruits and vegetables exceeded the safe limits. Arsenic concentration in anchovy fish was above the acceptable limit. Some fruits, vegetables and fish species as analyzed in our study may threaten human health because of their heavy metal loads.

Keywords

• contamination
• fish
• fruit
• heavy metal
• vegetable

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