Czech J. Food Sci., 2023, 41(6):455-461 | DOI: 10.17221/85/2023-CJFS

Determination of some heavy metals in different wheat flour brands in Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region – IraqOriginal Paper

Muhammad Faruq Wahab, Dara Muhamed Jamil*
Food Science and Quality Control Department, College of Agricultural Engineering Science, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani, Iraq

Wheat flour is one of the most important sources of nutrients, and it is widely consumed worldwide as a raw ingredient in bread and other pastries. High heavy metal concentrations in the consumed wheat products could induce higher health risks. This study evaluated the heavy metal concentrations in the most available foreign and domestic wheat flour in Sulaimani, Kurdistan Iraq. The wheat flour samples were collected from different locations, and the heavy metal concentration was measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The mean values in wheat flour samples were roughly within the permissible limit set by Iraqi standard (IQS), GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) (GCC – Gulf Cooperation Council), Codex, and FAO/WHO. Heavy metals were detected in the descending order copper (Cu) > lead (Pb) > arsenic (As) > chromium (Cr) > nickel (Ni) > cadmium (Cd) > cobalt (Co). The results showed that wheat flour samples from the Sulaimani markets were slightly contaminated with Ni, and one domestic wheat flour sample with Pb was probably linked to fertiliser and soil contamination. It is concluded that wheat flour could be a source of chronic exposure to toxic heavy metals such as nickel and lead, resulting in adverse health issues later. Consequently, regular monitoring of soil contamination, water quality, and use of recommended levels of fertilisers and pesticides in the agricultural areas of Sulaimani are recommended.

Keywords: Iraqi standard; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES); contamination; domestic; foreign

Received: June 1, 2023; Revised: October 13, 2023; Accepted: December 6, 2023; Prepublished online: December 21, 2023; Published: December 28, 2023  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Wahab MF, Jamil DM. Determination of some heavy metals in different wheat flour brands in Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region – Iraq. Czech J. Food Sci. 2023;41(6):455-461. doi: 10.17221/85/2023-CJFS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abd Rashid R., Muda N.A., Saaid M., Halim M.A., Mohamed K. (2018): Determination of Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb in selected rice grain available in Malaysia. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7: 232-236. Go to original source...
    2. Abdul N.A., Mahmood A.B., Talb S.S., Mhamad H.J. (2023): Mineral processing impact on wheat and barley (tiry bread and samoon as an example). Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture, 51: 36-50. Go to original source...
    3. Al-Othman Z.A., Ali R., Al-Othman A.M., Ali J., Habila M.A. (2016): Assessment of toxic metals in wheat crops grown on selected soils, irrigated by different water sources. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 9: S1555-S1562. Go to original source...
    4. Alhendi A.S., Al A.A. (2018): Heavy metal content of wheat cultivated in many different regions of Iraq. Thai Journal of Agricultural Science, 51: 78-87.
    5. Barber R.G., Grenier Z.A., Burkhead J.L. (2021): Copper toxicity is not just oxidative damage: Zinc systems and insight from Wilson disease. Biomedicines, 9: 316. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Bossou T., Dabade D.S., Bello O.D., Dossou J. (2021): Risk assessment of lead in wheat flour bread consumed in Benin. Journal of Applied Biosciences, 164: 17056-17064.
    7. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) (1993): Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme: 391.
    8. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) (2001): Food Additives and Contaminants. Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. World Health Organization.
    9. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) (2007): Procedural Manual. Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. World Health Organization.
    10. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) (2016): Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants. Eightieth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. World Health Organization.
    11. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) (2021): Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants. 14th Session. Maximum Levels for Cadmium and Lead in Certain Food Categories. World Health Organization.
    12. COSQC (2000): Wheat products: Standard for wheat flour for bread industry. Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control/Iraq. IQS: 37.
    13. Dallatu Y.A., Shallangwa G.A., Ibrahim W.A. (2016): Effect of milling on the level of heavy metal contamination of some Nigerian foodstuffs. International Journal of Chemical, Material and Environmental Research, 3: 29-34.
    14. Demirözü B. (2002): Metallic contamination problem in a pasta production plant. Turkish Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences, 26: 361-366.
    15. Doe E.D., Awua A.K., Gyamfi O.K., Bentil N.O. (2013): Levels of selected heavy metals in wheat flour on the Ghanaian market: A determination by atomic absorption spectrometry. American Journal of Applied Chemistry, 1: 17-21. Go to original source...
    16. Ekholm P., Reinivuo H., Mattila P., Pakkala H., Koponen J., Happonen A., Hellström J., Ovaskainen M.L. (2007): Changes in the mineral and trace element contents of cereals, fruits and vegetables in Finland. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 20: 487-495. Go to original source...
    17. Erenstein O., Jaleta M., Mottaleb K.A., Sonder K., Donovan J., Braun H.J. (2022): Global trends in wheat production, consumption and trade. In wheat improvement: Food security in a changing climate, Cham, Springer International Publishing: 47-66. Go to original source...
    18. Ghanati K., Zayeri F., Hosseini H. (2019): Potential health risk assessment of different heavy metals in wheat products. Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 18: 2093.
    19. GSO (2014): GSO/FDS 194/2014. Wheat Flour. Riyadh, GCC Standardization Organization.
    20. Hammed W.A., Koki I.B. (2016): Determination of lead and cadmium content in some selected processed wheat flour. International Journal of Chemistry, Material and Environmental Research, 3: 56-61.
    21. Jawad I., Allafaji S.H. (2012): The levels of trace metals contaminants in wheat grains, flours and breads in Iraq. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 6: 88-92.
    22. Karimi F., Shariatifar N., Rezaei M., Alikord M., Arabameri M. (2021): Quantitative measurement of toxic metals and assessment of health risk in agricultural products food from Markazi Province of Iran. International Journal of Food Contamination, 8: 2. Go to original source...
    23. Khaneghah A.M., Fakhri Y., Nematollahi A., Pirhadi M. (2020): Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in cereal-based foods: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 96: 30-44. Go to original source...
    24. Kosek-Hoehne K., Panocha B., ¦liwa A. (2017): Heavy metals - A silent threat to health. Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 7: 121-132.
    25. Li Y., Zhou S., Jia Z., Liu K., Wang G. (2021): Temporal and spatial distributions and sources of heavy metals in atmospheric deposition in western Taihu Lake, China. Environmental Pollution, 284: 117465. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Mahdi R.S., Omran F.K. (2021): Determination of heavy metals concentration of local and imported wheat grains storage and wheat flour in some silos of Baghdad City. Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 52: 1139-1149. Go to original source...
    27. Martínez-Cortijo J., Ruiz-Canales A. (2018): Effect of heavy metals on rice irrigated fields with waste water in high pH Mediterranean soils: The particular case of the Valencia area in Spain. Agricultural Water Management, 210: 108-123. Go to original source...
    28. Mustatea G., Ungureanu E., Popa M.E. (2020): Levels of lead and cadmium on wheat flours on the Romanian market: An atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. Annals of the University of Craiova-Agriculture, Montanology, Cadastre Series, 50: 284-289.
    29. Nejabat M., Kahe H., Shirani K., Ghorbannejad P., Hadizadeh F., Karimi G. (2017): Health risk assessment of heavy metals via dietary intake of wheat in Golestan Province, Iran. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 23: 1193-1201. Go to original source...
    30. Ölmez E., Gökmeºe E., Ergun Ü., Gokmeºe F. (2023): Monitoring of lead and some heavy metals in wheat flour of Corum province, Turkey: An air quality comparison. Hittite Journal of Science and Engineering, 10: 49-56. Go to original source...
    31. Olu M., Olufade O.I., Adekoyeni O.O., Jimoh M.O. (2013): Evaluation of heavy metal concentration in maise grown in selected industrial areas of Ogun State and its effects on urban food security. International Journal of Science, Technology and Society, 1: 48-56. Go to original source...
    32. Pirhadi M., Alikord M., Tajdar-Oranj B., Khaniki G.J., Nazmara S., Fathabad A.E., Ghalhari M.R., Sadighara P. (2022): Potential toxic elements (PTEs) concentration in wheat and flour products in Iran: A probabilistic risk assessment. Heliyon, 8: e11803. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    33. Qu C.S., Ma Z.W., Yang J., Liu Y., Bi J., Huang L. (2012): Human exposure pathways of heavy metals in a lead-zinc mining area, Jiangsu Province, China. PloS One, 7: e46793. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    34. Rai P.K., Lee S.S., Zhang M., Tsang Y.F., Kim K. H. (2019): Heavy metals in food crops: Health risks, fate, mechanisms, and management. Environment International, 125: 365-385. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    35. Ran J., Wang D., Wang C., Zhang G., Zhang H. (2016): Heavy metal contents, distribution, and prediction in a regional soil-wheat system. Science of the Total Environment, 544: 422-431. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    36. Rasheed M.S. (2021): The assessment of some heavy metals in the commonly consumed wheat bread. Vitamins and Minerals, 10: 10.
    37. Shokri S., Abdoli N., Sadighara P., Mahvi A.H., Esrafili A., Gholami M., Jannat B., Yousefi M. (2022): Risk assessment of heavy metals consumption through onion on human health in Iran. Food Chemistry X, 14: 100283. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    38. Tchounwou P.B., Yedjou C.G., Patlolla A.K., Sutton D.J. (2012): Heavy metal toxicity and the environment. In: Luch A. (ed.): Molecular, Clinical and Environmental Toxicology. Volume 3: Environmental Toxicology. Basel, Springer: 133-164. Go to original source...
    39. Tejera R.L., Luis G., González-Weller D., Caballero J.M., Gutiérrez Á.J., Rubio C., Hardisson A. (2013): Metals in wheat flour; comparative study and safety control. Nutricion Hospitalaria, 28: 506-513.
    40. Terzano R., Rascio I., Allegretta I., Porfido C., Spagnuolo M., Khanghahi M.Y., Crecciho C., Sakellariadou F., Gattullo C.E. (2021): Fire effects on the distribution and bioavailability of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in agricultural soils. Chemosphere, 281: 130752. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    41. USDA (2020): Global wheat production and consumption continues to grow. Grain central. Available at https://www.graincentral.com/markets/south-east-asia-becomes-biggest-world-wheat-market-usda (accessed Mar 24, 2023).
    42. Wild E., Dent J., Thomas G.O., Jones K.C. (2005): Direct observation of organic contaminant uptake, storage, and metabolism within plant roots. Environmental Science and Technology, 39: 3695-3702. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    43. Yaradua A.I., Alhassan A.J., Saulawa L.A., Nasir A., Matazu K.I., Usman A., Mohammad A. (2019): Evaluation of health effect of some selected heavy metals in maise cultivated in Katsina state, Northwest Nigeria. Asian Plant Research Journal, 2: 1-12. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content