The fast industrialization and urbanization in the world have led to increasing heavy metal pollution in the water supplies. Here, we examined the spatial and temporal distribution and contamination of heavy metals and physicochemical parameters in the drinking water sources of Mashhad in Iran.In this survey, 432 samples of drinking water were collected from 5 zones and 36 stations from August 2017 to May 2018. The results of heavy metal measurements showed that the average concentrations of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), chrome (Cr), nickel (Ni) and Pb were 0.198±0.11, 0.018±0.04, 5.80±7.87, 1.695±2.16 and 0.574± 0.22 µg L-1for arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), chrome (Cr), nickel (Ni) and Pb, respectively. This result showed that the concentration of heavy metals and physicochemical parameters were comparatively lower than the threshold values throughout the study period; however, some stations showed metrics values above the acceptable limit. Thus, there is still potential contamination in drinking water due to potential heavy metal interactions and long-term exposure. Results of this study showed the current pollution status of drinking water in Mashhad needs remediation efforts to protect human health in urban regions, which highlighted a basis for decision-making in the future to take the main action on contamination control. پرونده مقاله

Food contamination with heavy metals is the main concern for human health that increases globally. Bread wheat is one of the most important grain products for human consumption. The aim of the study is to examine the effect of baking methods on residues of heavy metals in the different breads produced with wheat flour in Mashhad, Iran. A total of 180 samples of different breads produced in 90 bakery shops in Mashhad was analyzed for some heavy metals (Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Co, As, Al, V, Cd, and Ni) by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results showed that the average concentration of Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, and Cd in some bread samples were significantly (p<0.05) different between traditional and industrial baking processes. The average concentrations of the entire test of Fe (46.35±39.78 mg.kg-1), Cr (0.28±0.33 mg.kg-1), Al (3.49±1.89 mg.kg-1), and As (0.479±0.229 mg.kg-1) were higher than the current corresponding safety limit in all type of bread. The results obtained indicated that the government requires implementing more remediation or intervention to control and mitigating the contamination burden of heavy metals in traditional bread in the study area to reduce its associated risks for human health. پرونده مقاله

Heavy metals contamination is a major concern because of its serious threat to human health. The primary aim of this study was to examine potential health risks for national (adults and children) and international (Arab population) inhabitants that were exposed to heavy metals (Cd and Pb) through ingestion of wheat flour. A total of 300 wheat flours samples (<0.25 mm) of five commercial brands have been collected from 2016 to 2018 from Khuzestan province, Iran. The possible health risk was estimated based on the Hazard Quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI or non-carcinogenic risk), and carcinogenic Risk (CR) indices. The average concentrations of the Pb and Cd were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than the safety limit in all seasons for three years. However, 2.3% of Pb in the total samples exceeded the European Commission and FAO/WHO standards. All estimated values for non-carcinogenic risk were in the safe range (HQ < 1) among all consumers. The mean value of total CR for Pb was 1.23×10−6, 1.75×10-6, and 8.03 × 10-7 for adult, children, and Arab populations, respectively. For Cd exposure, the total CR value was 2.2×10−4, 3.13×10−4 and 1.44 ×10−4 for adult, children, and Arab populations, respectively. Cancer risk values determined for Cd were generally in the unsafe range during three years, indicating that there was CR for all consumers by ingestion intake of Cd contained in wheat flour in this study area. The results obtained indicated that the government requires implementing more remediation or intervention to control and mitigate the contamination burden of Cd in agricultural crops to reduce its associated carcinogenic risks. پرونده مقاله