Table 4.
Summary of US FDA Total Diet Study Results for Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury and Perchlorate in Select Fruits and Vegetables [28,30].
| Mean Level ± Standard Deviation (min, max) (mg/kg Food) * | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | Arsenic | Cadmium | Lead | Mercury ** | Perchlorate + |
| BF carrots | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.017 ± 0.012 (0,0.059) | 0.004 ± 0.006 (0,0.018) | 0.010 ± 0.018 (0,0.074) | |
| Carrots (fresh, peeled, boiled) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.019 ± 0.015 (0.002,0.062) | 0.002 ± 0.004 (0,0.019) | 0.004 ± 0.003 (0,0.010) | |
| BF Green Beans | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.001 (0,0.003) | 0.001 ± 0.005 (0,0.021) | 0.004 ± 0.002 (0,0.009) | |
| Green Beans (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0.006) | 0.001 ± 0.003 (0,0.018) | 0.009 ± 0.014 (0,0.059) | |
| BF sweet potatoes | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.004 ± 0.002 (0,0.005) | 0.013 ± 0.008 (0,0.034) | 0.001 ± 0.001 (0,0.003) | |
| Sweet potatoes (canned) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.004 ± 0.002 (0,0.007) | 0.012 ± 0.005 (0,0.023) | 0.0004 ± 0.001 (0,0.003) | |
| Potato, boiled (without peel) | 0.0003 ± 0.002 (0,0.010) | 0.021 ± 0.008 (0.01,0.039) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.001 (0,0.003) | |
| Potato, baked (with peel) | 0.001 ± 0.003 (0,0.012) | 0.031 ± 0.013 (0,0.065) | 0.0004 ± 0.002 (0,0.012) | 0.0004 ± 0.001 (0,0.002) | |
| BF applesauce | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.007) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.009) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | |
| Applesauce | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0004 ± 0.02 (0,0.008) | 0.001 ± 0.003 (0,0.011) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | |
| Apples (raw, with peel) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.004 (0,0.022) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0001 ± 0.0002 (0,0.001) | |
| BF Peaches | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.010) | 0.003 ± 0.001 (0,0.006) | 0.0003 ± 0.001 (0,0.008) | 0.005 ± 0.004 (0.001,0.016) | |
| Peaches (raw, frozen) | 0.0003 ± 0.002 (0,0.009) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.006) | 0.0002 ± 0.001 (0,0.007) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.009) | |
| BF peas | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.005) | 0.0002 ± 0.001 (0,0.007) | 0.0002 ± 0.0004 (0,0.001) | |
| Peas (green, frozen, boiled) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.008) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0003 ± 0.0007 (0,0.003) | |
| BF Pears | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.004) | 0.0003 ± 0.001 (0,0.008) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0001 ± 0.0005 (0,0.002) |
| Pears (raw, with peel) | 0.0003 ± 0.002 (0,0.010) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.006) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.009) | 0.0008 ± 0.003 (0,0.011) | |
| BF Bananas | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.002 (0,0.006) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0001 ± 0.0002 (0,0.001) |
| Bananas | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.001 ± 0.001 (0,0.003) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0005 ± 0.0009 (0,0.002) | |
| BF squash | 0.0004 ± 0.002 (0,0.013) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.010) | 0.001 ± 0.005 (0,0.022) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.005) | |
| Squash, winter (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.005 ± 0.006 (0,0.03) | 0.001 ± 0.003 (0,0.012) | 0.006 ± 0.008 (0,0.032) | |
| Squash, summer (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.011) | 0.001 ± 0.003 (0,0.018) | 0.0322 ± 0.055 (0,0.197) | |
| Avocado (raw) | 0.001 ± 0.008 (0,0.044) | 0.012 ± 0.012 (0,0.054) | 0.001 ± 0.005 (0,0.030) | 0.0001 ± 0.0003 (0,0.001) | 0.004 ± 0.004(0,0.018) |
| Grapes (red/green, raw) | 0.002 ± 0.005 (0,0.018) | 0.001 ± 0.001 (0,0.004) | 0.002 ± 0.004 (0,0.019) | 0.026 ± 0.030 (0,0.091) | |
| Oranges | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.0004 ± 0.001 (0,0.006) | 0.001 ± 0.004 (0,0.021) | 0.004 ± 0.004 (0,0.019) | |
| Pineapple (canned in juice) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.003 ± 0.002 (0,0.011) | 0.007 ± 0.009 (0,0.046) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.005) | |
| Strawberries (raw/frozen) | 0.0003 ± 0.002 (0,0.009) | 0.015 ± 0.010 (0.003,0.044) | 0.001 ± 0.004 (0,0.015) | 0.002 ± 0.005 (0,0.020) | |
| Broccoli (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0.0003 ± 0.002 (0,0.010) | 0.009 ± 0.005 (0.004,0.025) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.011 ± 0.024 (0,0.102) | |
| Cauliflower (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.009 ± 0.005 (0.002,0.030) | 0.0005 ± 0.003 (0,0.015) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.004 ± 0.008 (0,0.036) |
| Corn (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0.0004 ± 0.002 (0,0.013) | 0.002 ± 0.002 (0,0.008) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | |
| Spinach (fresh, frozen/boiled) | 0.0003 ± 0.001 (0,0.008) | 0.183 ± 0.226 (0.038,1.1) | 0.004 ± 0.005 (0,0.018) | 0.0003 ± 0.0005 (0,0.001) | 0.017 ± 0.019 (0,0.088) |
| Tomato (raw) | 0.0003 ± 0.002 (0,0.010) | 0.008 ± 0.007 (0,0.029) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0 ± 0 (0,0) | 0.058 ± 0.056 (0,0.088) |
* The data reported here pertain to TDS market baskets 2006-1 through 2013-4. ** Mercury data includes market baskets 2006-1 through 2008-1 and 2011-4 through 2013-4. Results from 2008-2 through 2009-4 were omitted due to methodology issues. Samples collected from 2010-1 through 2011-3 were not analyzed for mercury. Gray boxes indicate no data were reported for this food. + Perchlorate data includes market baskets from the 2008–2012 Total Diet Study results. For a particular basket, if the perchlorate level was not detected, a value of 0 parts per billion (ppb) of perchlorate was used in calculating the mean and standard deviation. Note the unit for perchlorate in TDS was reported in ppb unlike the other contaminants in this table and converted to ppm (mg/kg food). Mean and SD were calculated from the raw data for perchlorate for TDS [30].