Human health risks from metals and metalloid via consumption of food animals near gold mines in Tarkwa, Ghana: Estimation of the daily intakes and target hazard quotients (THQs)

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 111; pp. 160 - 167
• Main Authors: Bortey-Sam, Nesta, Nakayama, Shouta M.M., Ikenaka, Yoshinori, Akoto, Osei, Baidoo, Elvis, Yohannes, Yared Beyene, Mizukawa, Hazuki, Ishizuka, Mayumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01-01-2015
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Cadmium; Chickens; Child; Estimated daily intake; Food Contamination - analysis; Ghana; Goats; Gold; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points - methods; Health; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Humans; Intakes; Lead (metal); Liver; Manganese; Meat - analysis; Mercury (metal); Mercury - analysis; Mercury - toxicity; Metalloids - analysis; Metalloids - toxicity; Metals - analysis; Metals - toxicity; Mining; Muscle; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Offal; Poisoning - etiology; Risk; Risk Assessment; Ruminantia; Sheep; Target hazard quotient; Ghana; Muscle; Ghana; Offal; Target hazard quotient; Estimated daily intake
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.09.008

Heavy metal and metalloid contamination in food resulting from mining is of major concern due to the potential risk involved. Food consumption is the most likely route of human exposure to metals. This study was therefore to assess metals in different organs and different animal species near gold mines used for human consumption (free-range chicken, goat and sheep) in Tarkwa, Ghana, and to estimate the daily intake and health risk. The concentrations of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were measured with an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer and Hg analysis was done using the mercury analyzer. Principal component analysis of the results showed a clear separation between chicken, grouped on one side, and the ruminants clustered on another side in both offal and muscle. Interestingly, As, Cd, Hg, Mn and Pb made one cluster in the offal of chicken. Chicken muscle also showed similar distribution with As, Hg and Pb clustered together. The daily intake of metals (μg/kg body weight/day) were in the following ranges; As [0.002 (kidneys of goat and sheep)–0.19 (chicken gizzard)], Cd [0.003 (chicken muscle)–0.55 (chicken liver)], Hg [0.002 (goat muscle)–0.29 (chicken liver)], Pb [0.01 (muscles and kidneys of goat and sheep)–0.96 (chicken gizzard)] and Mn [0.13 (goat kidney)–8.92 (sheep liver)]. From the results, daily intakes of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Mn in these food animals were low compared to the provisional tolerable daily intake guidelines. The THQs although less than one, indicated that contributions of chicken gizzard and liver to toxic metal exposure in adults and especially children could be significant.
•Evaluation of metals in different organs and different species of animals for human consumption.•Estimated the intake of metals and metalloid through consumption.•Daily intake of toxic metals were low compared to the WHO tolerable daily intakes.•Target hazard quotients of toxic metals were higher for children compared to adults.•Contributions of chicken to toxic metal exposure in children could be significant.