Fruits Contaminated with Lead, Cadmium and Nitrate are the Risks to Human Health: A seasonal study

Background: Consumers may be contaminated by various food intakes as one of the most important sources of organic and inorganic pollutants associated with agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and nitrate contaminations in watermelon and carrot samples and the associated risks to human health. Methods: In this cross sectional study, 108 samples of watermelon and carrot samples were collected randomly from the supermarkets in Kashan, Iran, from October 2017 to September 2018. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and spectrophotometry were used to analyze Pb, Cd and nitrate in the collected samples, respectively. Results:   The results showed that the carrot samples had the most concentrations of Pb, Cd and nitrate than those for watermelon (p<0.001). All of the samples except for some watermelons and carrots had lower contaminants than the permissible standard limits. The results of the target hazard quotient (THQ) and total THQ for the compounds were within the safe range (<1) and were not detected at harmful levels. The excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) of Pb and Cd were in the safe and unsafe range, respectively. However, the total cancer risk was higher than the standard level and was; therefore, unsafe to the consumers. Conclusion: The study showed that the concentrations of the compounds in carrot and watermelon may potentially be hazardous to the health of Iranian consumers.