Estimated daily intake and health risk assessment of toxic elements in infant formulas

Overview

This study measured eleven elements (Al, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, total As, Se, Cd, Sn, Pb, and total Hg) in 72 powdered infant formula samples from the Turkish market by ICP-MS and estimated age-group dietary intakes. The sample set is entirely powdered formula and largely cow-milk based, with groups covering standard infant formula, follow-on formula, growing-up milk, premature formula, low-birth-weight formula, and specialty formulas.

Key numbers

Source-reported occurrence highlights (Table 4 and results text; concentration units as reported, ug/g or mg/kg equivalent for powdered product):

Element	Source-reported result
Al	Overall average about 1.755 +/- 0.708 ug/g; observed range 0.08-7.93 ug/g.
Mn	Range 0.242-20.828 ug/g; nine samples (12.5%) above the source-cited limit values.
Co	Detected at low ug/g levels in the formula groups; LOD 0.0114 ppb.
Cu	Detected in all formulas; the highest anonymized product-group mean was 2.637 ug/g.
Zn	Range 16.148-69.179 ug/g; two anonymized product groups exceeded the source-cited 36 mg/kg limit.
tAs	Overall average about 0.529 mg/kg; three highest anonymized product-group means were 1.325, 1.080, and 0.931 mg/kg.
Se	Measured and included in intake calculations; LOD 0.3157 ppb.
Cd	Not detected in one sample; below source-cited limits in 61 samples (85%); nine samples (12.5%) exceeded the cited infant-formula limit.
Sn	Not detected in 14 of 16 anonymized brand groups and detected only in two groups; source-cited limit 50 mg/kg.
Pb	Overall average about 0.071 ug/g, range 0.010-0.141 ug/g.
tHg	Overall average about 0.0086 +/- 0.003 ug/g, range 0.0035-0.0155 ug/g.

Method performance (Table 3; ICP-MS LOD in ppb):

Element	LOD
Al	0.1434
Mn	0.0377
Co	0.0114
Cu	0.0658
Zn	0.1155
As	0.0413
Se	0.3157
Cd	0.0100
Sn	0.0252
Pb	0.0051
Hg	0.0060

All method-spike recoveries in Table 3 are reported as 99.0%.

Methods (brief)

The study purchased 72 powdered infant formula products from 16 anonymized brands in Turkiye. Table 1 groups the products by age label and use context: 0-6 month infant formula, 6-9 month follow-on milk, 9-12 month follow-on milk, 12-36 month growing-up milk, premature formula, low-birth-weight formula, and additional specialty formula groups. Samples were digested by microwave digestion and analyzed by ICP-MS. The digestion system was Milestone Ethos Up; standards and internal-standard additions included Bi and Au for Hg stabilization. Calibration standards ranged from 0.5 to 100 ppb.

Implications

Standards work: This is high-value powdered infant formula occurrence evidence because it covers a relatively large Turkish market sample (n=72) and includes the full toxic-element panel plus nutrient elements. The strongest HMT&C signals are Pb, Cd, total As, Al, Mn, and total Hg.

Courses: Useful for showing how formula-category subgroups and age labels affect exposure calculations. It also illustrates why total arsenic cannot be treated as inorganic arsenic unless the method actually speciates.

App: Route as powdered formula occurrence evidence for Turkish-market cow-milk-based formula. Use total arsenic and total mercury labels; do not infer iAs or methylmercury fractions from this paper.

Microbiome: Not addressed.

Update history

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