Overview
Bossou and colleagues measured lead by AAS in nine wheat flour breads from three Beninese cities and combined the results with a consumer survey to estimate exposure. Bread from Cotonou and Parakou carried about 5.8 mg/kg lead, roughly three times the level in Bohicon. Estimated daily lead exposure in Cotonou and Parakou exceeded the 3.6 µg/kg body weight value the authors cite.
Key numbers
- Cotonou and Parakou combined: lead 5.84 ± 0.53 mg/kg (Results, p. 17060).
- Bohicon: lead 2.07 ± 0.36 mg/kg (Discussion, p. 17061).
- Daily exposure dose 1.4 µg/kg body weight in Bohicon and 4 in Cotonou and Parakou (Table 2).
Methods (brief)
Lead was measured by AAS after dry incineration following NF EN 14082. Detection limits, reference materials and recoveries are not reported, nor is the moisture basis.
Evidence Fitness
Only three breads per city with no analytical quality data; lead near 6 mg/kg is very high for bread and unverified. The journal header shows volume 164 while the DOI and running head say 165. For bagels, crackers, pretzels, cinnamon rolls, cornbread, flour tortillas and toaster pastries this is a bread proxy only; none of those foods was measured.