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Showing 3 results for Carcinogenic Risk
Assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of heavy metals in edible vegetable oils from Sabzevar, Iran
Hadi Niknejad, Ehsan Manavipour, Musa Cheshmi, Vajihe Hasanzadeh, Roghayeh Abedi Sarvestani, Fatemeh Ahmadi, Mehrnoosh Abtahi,
Volume 18, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Heavy metal contamination in vegetable oils is a major food safety concern due to its potential adverse effects on public health. This study aimed to measure the concentrations of heavy metals (As, Pb, Cu, and Fe) in various types of vegetable oils and to assess the associated health risks from human consumption.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 72 samples of vegetable oils—including sesame, sunflower, and rapeseed—were systematically collected from markets in Sabzevar. The oil samples were accurately weighed and digested using a mixture of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide. The resulting digested solutions were filtered and analyzed for Pb, As, Cu, and Fe concentrations using microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES). All procedures were performed in triplicate, following national Iranian standards. To accurately evaluate health risks, the hazard quotient (HQ) for non-carcinogenic effects and the lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) were calculated using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). A daily intake of 0.227 kg of vegetable oils was assumed, based on national dietary data, to estimate chronic exposure.
Results: The results showed that the highest levels of heavy metals in vegetable oils were as follows: Pb (0.058 mg/kg) in sesame oil, As (0.090 mg/kg) in sunflower oil, and Cu and Fe (0.143 mg/kg and 0.847 mg/kg, respectively) in rapeseed oil. The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values for Pb (THQ = 0.146), Cu (THQ = 0.022), and Fe (THQ = 0.01) were within the safe range. However, the THQ for As (THQ = 1.905) was found to be significantly elevated. The cancer risk assessment indicated that the consumption of these oils is generally within the acceptable risk range, but the risk associated with As was estimated to be approximately 100 times higher than that of Pb.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that, although the carcinogenic risk associated with vegetable oil consumption is low, continuous monitoring of these products—particularly for heavy metal contaminants—is essential to ensure consumer safety.
 

Assessing pollution and associated health risks of street dust contaminated with potentially toxic elements, the case of city of Kermanshah
Ali Asgari, Soheil Sobhanardakani, Mehrdad Cheraghi, Bahareh Lorestani, Maryam Kiani Sadr,
Volume 18, Issue 4 (3-2026)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Street dust, as a significant non-point source of PTEs contamination, is one of the primary pathways through which human can be exposed to environmental pollutants. Therefore, this study was performed to assess the pollution and health risk of As, Cd, Co, Pb, and V in street dust in Kermanshah in 2023.
Materials and Methods: A total of 48 dust samples were collected from 16 sites. After sample digestion, the contents of the elements were determined using ICP-OES. Additionally, the enrichment factor (EF), integrated pollution index (IPI), and Nemerow integrated pollution index (NIPI) were calculated. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from exposure to contaminated dust were estimated.
Results: The highest mean contents of As, Cd, and Co, and V with 7.28, 0.729, 9.02, and 8.78 mg/kg, respectively, were belonged to the industrial regions and for Pb with 101 mg/kg was recorded for the commercial areas, reflecting the impact of human inputs, especially from industrial and traffic sources. The EF values indicated that "no" to "severe" enrichment level in the study area. Also, the average values of IPI, indicating the "low" to "high" pollution conditions entire the sampling sites. The mean NIPI values ​​ranged from 1.17 to 1.68, indicating "low" pollution conditions in the study area. The mean average values of HI for children and adults were categorized as "severe risk" and "low risk", respectively. However, the mean TCR values for citizens indicated high carcinogenic risk.
Conclusion: The results indicated that As and Pb had the highest contribution to cumulative health risks for both age groups; therefore, the control of emission sources of these elements, including fossil fuel combustion and traffic and also regular monitoring of street dusts especially in the regions with heavy pollution level are recommended.
 

Effect of traditional production on the heavy metal concentration in dairy products compared to raw milk and its health risk assessment
Hamideh Akbari, Aida Jasour, Hassan Rasoulzadeh, Ali Zafarzadeh, Rozhan Feizi,
Volume 19, Issue 1 (6-2026)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Since the presence of heavy metals in milk and dairy products is a health concern, this study aimed to evaluate the concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc in raw milk and traditional dairy products, and to conduct a related risk assessment.
Materials and Methods: 30 samples of milk and dairy products including yoghurt, cheese, and doogh were collected from ten traditional dairy production store in Khuzestan province. The samples were digested in the laboratory using nitric acid method digestion, and the heavy metal concentration was measured using Metrohm 797. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) were calculated for non-carcinogenic risk and Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) was calculated for carcinogenic risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation.
Results: The mean concentration of lead, cadmium, zinc and copper in the dairy were 0668, 0069, 0952 and 8756 mg/kg, respectively. The total heavy metal concentrations in yoghurt, doogh and cheese were 134.08, 24.19 and 4.17 percent higher than in raw milk, respectively. The HI from dairy product consumption was 52.82E-2. The EDI for lead and cadmium in dairy products were in the range of 10-4 and10-8, respectively.
Conclusion: Although common attitude toward better quality of traditional dairy products, the traditional process increases the concentration of some heavy metals in comparison with in raw milk. Monitoring of heavy metals in traditional dairy products and defining a control strategy is recommended.
 

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