Overview
This study measured Pb and total As in 50 commercial fruit-juice samples purchased from local markets in Mashhad, Iran during spring and winter 2016. The sampled matrices were grape, apple, orange, pomegranate, and multi-fruit juices. The key HMT&C signal is widespread Pb exceedance: the authors report that 83% of samples were above the Codex fruit-juice Pb maximum level of 30 ng/mL, while all measured total-As values were below the 10 ng/mL comparator used by the paper.
Key numbers
Overall source summary:
| Metal | Overall mean | Overall range | Comparator in paper | Source conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | 39.4 ng/mL | 18.5-54.6 ng/mL | Codex fruit-juice/nectar maximum level 30 ng/mL | 83% of samples exceeded comparator |
| As | 1.9 ng/mL | 1.52-2.35 ng/mL | WHO drinking-water / paper comparator 10 ng/mL | all samples below comparator |
Fruit-type ranges across spring and winter sampling (Table 3; ng/mL):
| Fruit juice type | Pb range | As range |
|---|---|---|
| Grape | 19.9-43.7 | 1.52-2.15 |
| Apple | 25.5-52.2 | 1.82-2.21 |
| Orange | 22.9-54.6 | 1.68-2.21 |
| Pomegranate | 25.4-50.6 | 1.62-2.15 |
| Multi-fruit | 18.5-54.6 | 1.55-2.35 |
Seasonal means reported in Table 3 (ng/mL):
| Juice type | Spring Pb mean ± SEM | Winter Pb mean ± SEM | Spring As mean ± SEM | Winter As mean ± SEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grape | 35.1 ± 4.50 | 41.6 ± 1.31 | 1.82 ± 0.09 | 1.86 ± 0.12 |
| Apple | 37.7 ± 3.43 | 42.0 ± 3.93 | 1.94 ± 0.04 | 2.09 ± 0.05 |
| Orange | 38.2 ± 4.84 | 41.1 ± 4.94 | 1.83 ± 0.06 | 1.95 ± 0.07 |
| Pomegranate | 36.3 ± 3.20 | 41.8 ± 3.83 | 1.70 ± 0.03 | 1.91 ± 0.08 |
| Multi-fruit | 38.6 ± 6.03 | 41.6 ± 6.22 | 1.85 ± 0.10 | 2.01 ± 0.11 |
The paper states that orange A and multi-fruit A had the highest Pb levels, multi-fruit E had the lowest Pb, grape B had the lowest As, and multi-fruit C had the highest As. These are anonymized sample codes rather than public brand names.
Methods (brief)
Fifty commercial fruit-juice samples were purchased from local markets of Mashhad during spring and winter 2016. The sample set covered five fruit-juice types and five anonymized major brands, with 25 samples in spring and 25 in winter.
For Pb, 5 mL juice was digested with nitric acid/hydrogen peroxide, first overnight at room temperature, then by hot-plate and microwave digestion, concentrated, transferred to a 25 mL volumetric flask, and analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. For As, 10 mL sample was treated with hydrochloric acid and potassium iodide, incubated, and analyzed by hydride-generation flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Instrumentation was a Perkin-Elmer 3030 atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with graphite furnace, flame, and mercury/hydride system.
Implications
Standards work: This is direct Pb and total-As evidence for commercial fruit juices from the Mashhad retail market. It is especially useful for fruit-juice Pb because the study reports both type-specific ranges and an exceedance fraction against a 30 ng/mL Codex comparator.
Courses: Useful for showing why “commercial packaged juice” is not automatically low-risk in every market. It also shows the importance of distinguishing Pb exceedance from As non-exceedance in the same source.
App: Provides occurrence fields for Pb and total As in Mashhad/Iran fruit juices. The app should not treat the total-As values as inorganic arsenic.
Microbiome: Not addressed.
Related evidence
- Lead
- Arsenic, Total
- Fruit Juice
- Apple juice
- Orange juice
- Grape Juice
- Fruit Juice (Not Canned)
- Fruit Juices, Apple-Containing
- Fruit Juices, Non-Apple
Update history
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