Lead, mercury and arsenic content in spices: Black, white and green pepper, black cumin and ginger

Abstract

In order to evaluate the safety of selected commercial spices brands, concentration of lead, mercury and arsenic, as well as moisture and mineral contents were analyzed in samples of dried black and white pepper powders, black, white and green peppercorns, black cumin seeds and ginger powder. Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) concentrations in spice samples purchased from local markets in Belgrade were determined, after a microwave digestion of the samples, by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), using the graphite furnace AAS technique (Pb), cold vapor AAS technique (Hg) and hydride generation AAS technique (As). Trace levels of Pb, Hg and As in the selected dried spices samples were in the range 0.10 ppm - 0.79 ppm, 0.01 ppm - 0.10 ppm and 0.01 ppm - 0.51 ppm, respectively. The maximum Pb concentration was determined in the sample of ginger and it was 0.79 ppm, the maximum concentration of Hg was 0.10 ppm, determined in green peppercorns samples, while the maximum concentration of As in powdered black pepper sample was 0.51 ppm. The moisture and mineral contents in the different analyzed spices were in the range 1.70-13.10% and 3.40-6.50%, respectively. According to the obtained results, the concentrations of the analyzed toxic elements, as well as the moisture and mineral content in selected spices, were below the maximum permissible limits declared by the national legislations deemed safe for human consumption.

U ovom radu, u cilju utvrđivanja bezbednosti odabranih komercijalnih začina, analizirane su koncentracije teških metala, kao i sadržaj vlage i ukupnih mineralnih materija, u uzorcima sušenog crnog i belog bibera u prahu, crnog, belog i zelenog bibera u zrnu, semena crnog kima i đumbira u prahu. Koncentracije olova (Pb), žive (Hg) i arsena (As) u uzorcima začina iz lokalnih prodavnica u Beogradu, određene su nakon mikrotalasne digestije atomskom apsorcionom spektrometrijom (AAS), primenom tehnike grafitne peći (Pb), tehnike hladne pare (Hg) i hidridne tehnike (As). Određene koncentracije Pb, Hg i As u uzorcima sušenih začina su u opsegu 0,10 ppm - 0,79 ppm, 0,01 ppm - 0,10 ppm i 0,01 ppm - 0,51 ppm, redom. Maksimalna koncentracija Pb od 0,79 ppm određena je u uzorku đumbira, maksimalna koncentracija Hg od 0,10 ppm u uzorcima zelenog bibera u zrnu, dok je maksimalna koncentracija As određena u uzorku crnog bibera u prahu i iznosila je 0,51 ppm. U uzorcima ispitivanih začina sadržaj vlage i mineralnih materija je u opsegu 1,70-13,10% i 3,40-6,50%, redom. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da su koncentracije ispitivanih teških metala, kao i sadržaj vlage i mineralnih materija ispod maksimalno dozvoljenih vrednosti propisanih zakonskom regulativom Republike Srbije, kao i da su ispitivani uzorci crnog, belog i zelenog bibera u prahu i zrnu, crnog kima u zrnu i đumbira u prahu propisanog kvaliteta u ovom smislu.