Table 1.
Concentration ranges in some foods for As, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Cr in different countries of the world.
| TE/Food | Year * | Country | Levels ** | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As/Drinking Water |
2017 | Mexico | 7–600 µg/L | [32] |
| 2017–2019 | India | 0.01–732 μg/L | [33] | |
| 2018 | Iran | 0.01–12.5 µg/L | [34] | |
| 2019 | Pakistan | 3.25–184 µg/L | [35] | |
| 2022 | Some areas of the world | 50–100 µg/L | [36] | |
| 10–50 µg/L | ||||
| As/Rice | 2014 | Spain, Portugal | 0.16 mg/kg | [37] |
| 2017 | Australia, Bangladesh, Korea, India | 0.456–1.095 mg/kg | [38] | |
| 2017–2019 | India | 15–231 μg/kg | [33] | |
| 2018 | UK | t-As: 0.01–0.37 mg/kg | [39] | |
| 2018 | USA, Canada, KSA, India, Yemen, Iran | t-As: 93–989 µg/kg | [40] | |
| 2020 | USA | White rice: 65–202 µg/kg dw Brown rice: 139–403 µg/kg dw Other grains: 1.9–26 µg/kg dw |
[41] | |
| 2020 | Italy, India, Thailand | White rice: 58–183 µg/kg dw | [41] | |
| As/Fish and Seafood | 2006–2010 | Norway | Fish: t-As: 0.3–110 mg/kg ww | [42] |
| 2012 | Iran | Fish: 0.168–0.479 µg/g | [43] | |
| 2016 | Italy | Fish: 4.89–105.33 ng/g ww | [44] | |
| Mussels: 15.09–389.62 ng/g ww | ||||
| 2017 | Greece | Fish: t-As: 11.8–62.6 mg/kg dw | [45] | |
| 2019 | Turkey | Fish: 0.24–50.34 mg/kg ww | [46] | |
| 2022 | Poland | Fish: 23.3–59,290.1 µg/kg | [47] | |
| As/vegetables | 2016 | India | Potato: 5.6–176 μg/kg | [33] |
| As/fruits | 2016 | Iran | Fruits: 1.279–19.50 μg/kg Fruit juices: 1.137–18.36 μg/kg |
[48] |
| As/milk and dairy products | 2015–2016 | China | 0.004 mg/kg | [49] |
| As/cereal | 2017–2019 | India | Wheat flower: 3.6–448 μg/kg | [33] |
| Hg/Fish and Seafood | 2016 | Brazil | Bivalve molluscs: 124–725 µg/kg ww | [50] |
| Crustacean: 83–149 µg/kg ww | ||||
| 2016 | Italy | Fish: 5.01–284.94 ng/g ww | [44] | |
| Mussels: 15.25–480.00 ng/g ww | ||||
| 2021 | Italy | Fish: THg: 0.03–0.64 µg/g ww | [51] | |
| 2021 | Djibouti | Fish: 0.02–1.69 mg/kg ww | [52] | |
| 2022 | Poland | Fish: 9.04–606.3 µg/kg | [47] | |
| Hg/Rice | 2011 | China | THg: 1.8–5 ng/g | [53] |
| 2014–2015 | China | THg: 4.74 µg/kg | [54] | |
| 2014 | Sapin, Portugal | Undectable | [37] | |
| 2017 | China | THg: 4.03 µg/kg | [55] | |
| THg: 2.33 µg/kg | ||||
| 2017 | Pakistan | THg: 4.51 ng/g | [56] | |
| Hg/Wine | 2017 | Poland | <0.036–0.437 µg/L | [57] |
| 2018 | Poland | 0.31–0.51 µg/L | [57] | |
| 2019 | France | THg: <0.1–0.55 µg/L | [54] | |
| Hg/juices and fruit juices | 2016 | Iran | Fruit juices: 0.351 μg/kg Fruit: 690.54 μg/kg |
[48] |
| Hg/Water | 2014 | Iran | 67.41 μg/kg | [58] |
| Hg/milk and dairy products | 2019 | India | Milk: 4.88–7.23 µg/kg Cheese: 4.87–8.68 µg/kg Milk powder: 3.34–5.55 µg/kg |
[59] |
| Pb/Fruit and Fruit juices | 2014 | USA | Apple juice: 3.5 µg/L | [60] |
| 2014 | China | Apple juice: 3.8 µg/L | [60] | |
| 2015 | Turkey | Cherry juice: 0.1–16 µg/L | [61] | |
| Orange juice: 3.7–10 µg/L | ||||
| 2016 | Portugal | Peach juice: 0.96–8.51 µg/L | [62] | |
| Orange juice: <LOQ-2.49 µg/L | ||||
| 2016 2022 |
Iran | Fruit juices: 27.87–66.1 μg/kg Fruits: 470.56–910.14 μg/kg |
[48] | |
| 2022 | Iran | Orange juice: 99 µg/L | [63] | |
| Pb/Vegetables | 2007–2016 | China | Leafy vegetables: 0.154 mg/kg fw | [64] |
| Root vegetables: 0.068 mg/kg fw | ||||
| Fruit vegetables: 0.052 mg/kg fw | ||||
| 2016 | Iran | Potato: 0.007–0.064 mg/kg ww Onion: 0.002–0.076 mg/kg ww Tomato: <LOD-0.020 mg/kg ww Lettuce: 0.002–0.070 mg/kg ww Leek: 0.005–0.180 mg/kg ww Carrot: 0.006–0.120 mg/kg ww |
[65] | |
| Pb/Wheat grains (Cereal grains) |
2015 | Pakistan | Wheat grain: 0.05–0.29 mg/kg dw | [66] |
| 2016 | Iran | Wheat samples: 0.044 mg/kg | [67] | |
| 2017–2018 | Iran | Wheat: 0.027–0.639 mg/kg ww | [65] | |
| 2019 | Lebanon | Bread: 74–260 µg/kg dw | [68] | |
| Pb/Milk and dairy products | 2015–2016 | China | 0.0084 mg/kg | [49] |
| 2019 | India | Milk: 9.96–11.89 µg/kg Cheese: 9.16–10.99 µg/kg Milk powder: 3.99–5.01 µg/kg |
[59] | |
| 2018 | Poland | Milk: 0.012–0.234 mg/kg | [69] | |
| Pb/Rice | 2020 | USA | White rice: 0.2–31 µg/kg dw Brown rice: 1.4–34 µg/kg dw Other grains: 1.2–80 µg/kg dw |
[41] |
| Pb/Water | 2014 | Iran | 494.12 μg/kg | [58] |
| Cd/Fish and Seafood |
2015 | Norway | Crab hepatopancreas: 5.4–16 mg/kg ww | [70] |
| Crab claw meat: 0.003–0.006 mg/kg ww | ||||
| 2016 | Italy | Fish: 5.00–64.96 ng/g ww | [44] | |
| Mussels: 7.59–97.50 ng/g ww | ||||
| 2016–2018 | Djibouti | Shark: 0.48 and 14.5 mg/kg | [71] | |
| Cd/Soybean grains | 2016 | China | 0.05 mg/kg dw | [72] |
| Cd/Vegetables | 2021 | Cameroon | Cabbage: 0.15 mg/kg Carrot: 0.16 mg/kg |
[73] |
| 2015 | Nigeria | Onion: 2.48–6.0 mg/kg | [74] | |
| Spinach leaves: 0.11–0.21 mg/kg | ||||
| Spinach stems: 0.26–0.31 mg/kg | ||||
| 2016 | China | Leafy vegetables: 0.01–1.28 mg/kg dw | [75] | |
| Rootstalk vegetable: <0.01–0.30 mg/kg dw | ||||
| Legume vegetable <0.01–0.04 mg/kg dw | ||||
| 2022 | India | Mango: 0.01–0.08 mg/kg dw | [76] | |
| Cd/Rice | 2014 | Sapin, Portugal | Parboiled rice: 0.005 mg/kg | [37] |
| 2021 | Sri Lanka | undetectable-0.1589 mg/kg | [77] | |
| 2016 | China | 0.02–3.61 mg/kg dw | [75] | |
| 2020 | USA | White rice: 1.7–71 µg/kg dw Brown rice: 7.7–65 µg/kg dw Other grains: 1.2–49 µg/kg dw |
[41] | |
| Cd/Water | 2015 | Nigeria | 0.09 mg/kg | [74] |
| 2015 | Malaysia | River water: 3.9 × 10−4–34.3 × 10−4 mg/L | [78] | |
| Treated water: 1.2 × 10−4–9.9 × 10−4 mg/L | ||||
| Tap water: 1.3 × 10−4–7.7 × 10−4 mg/L | ||||
| 2017 | India | 0.05–0.07 mg/L | [79] | |
| Cd/Fruits and Fruit juices | 2016 | Iran | Fruit juices: 0.89–3.44 μg/kg Fruit: 1.09–5.56 μg/kg |
[48] [48] |
| 2022 | Iran | Orange juice: 9.4 µg/L | [63] | |
| Cd/Milk and dairy products | 2015–2016 | China | 0.0097 mg/kg | [49] |
| 2019 | India | Milk: 4.55–8.16 µg/kg Cheese: 3.16–10.93 µg/kg Milk powder: 7.73–10.2 µg/kg |
[59] | |
| Cr/Water | 2016 | UK | maximum value of 15 μg/L, the 95th percentile: 1 μg/L | [80] |
| 2015 | UK | <0.1 μg/L | [81] | |
| 2018 | Canada USA |
0.1–2 μg/L | [82] | |
| 2015 | Malaysia | River water: 1.2 × 10−4–12.2 × 10−4 mg/L | [78] | |
| Treated water: 0.2 × 10−4–5.3 × 10−4 mg/L | ||||
| Tap water: 1.0 × 10−4–9.5 × 10−4 mg/L | ||||
| 2016 | Vietnam | Surface water: 0.32–4.32 mg/L | [83] | |
| Well water: 0.02–0.82 mg/L | ||||
| Cr/Vegetables | 2018 | Romania | 17.8 ± 6.9 mg/kg for total Cr | [84] |
| 2017/2018 | India | Cabbage: 0.02–0.46 mg/kg | [85] | |
| Carrot: 0.21–0.68 mg/kg | ||||
| Onion: 0.12–0.53 mg/kg | ||||
| Tomato: 0.08–0.70 mg/kg | ||||
| 2016 | Vietnam | 0.02–1.57 mg/kg | [83] | |
| Cr/Fish and Seafood |
2016 | Vietnam | Tiger shrimp: 1.46 ± 0.28 mg/kg | [83] |
| Stuffed snails: 1.69 ± 0.40 mg/kg | ||||
| Catfish: 12.25 ± 0.15 mg/kg | ||||
| 2016 | Italy | Fish: 5.22–109.22 ng/g ww | [44] | |
| Mussels: 22.54–180.36 ng/g ww | ||||
| 2016 | Italy | Crab: LOQ 3.216 mg/kg ww | [86] | |
| Cr/Milk and dairy products | 2015 | France | Milk: 6.2–12 μg/kg fw | [87] |
| Cheese: 4.8–101 μg/kg fw | ||||
| Ultra-fresh dairy products: 1.1–21 μg/kg fw | ||||
| Cr/Cereal and cereal products |
2015 | France | Bread and dried bread products: 20–135 μg/kg fw | [87] |
| Breakfast cereals: 35–483 μg/kg fw | ||||
| Pasta: Not detected | ||||
| Rice and wheat products: 10–33 μg/kg fw | ||||
| Sweet and savoury biscuits and bars: 20–236 μg/kg fw |
*: year of sampling. **: dw = dry weight; fw = fresh weight; ww = wet weight; t-As = total arsenic; i-As = inorganic arsenic; THg = total mercury; LOQ = limit of quantification.