Overview
Kumar et al. compiled published lead concentration data for agricultural foods commonly consumed in Bangladesh and assessed non-cancer and cancer risk. The source is a summary-rich literature survey, not a new sampling campaign, but it reports routeable food concentration values by commodity group, district, and food item. It is useful for Bangladesh geographic context and for source-pool sensitivity review, not for silent pooling into US-market benchmark rows.
Key numbers
The paper standardizes lead (Pb) concentration values to ug/g fresh weight unless otherwise noted.
Commodity-group means and prominent food-item values:
| Food group or item | Pb concentration | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 3.24 | ug/g fresh weight | Text also states wheat was highest among cereals; abstract states 4.04 ug/g. |
| Rice | 2.22 | ug/g fresh weight | Approximately 11 times the 0.20 ug/g cereal MAC used by the authors. |
| Maize | 1.43 | ug/g fresh weight | Approximately 7 times the 0.20 ug/g cereal MAC used by the authors. |
| Grass pea | 1.08 | ug/g fresh weight | Highest pulse value. |
| Chickpea | 0.90 | ug/g fresh weight | Pulse value. |
| Black gram | 0.70 | ug/g fresh weight | Pulse value. |
| Lentil | 0.53 | ug/g fresh weight | Pulse value. |
| Mung bean | 0.51 | ug/g fresh weight | Lowest pulse value. |
| Mango | 0.61 | ug/g fresh weight | Highest fruit average; six times the 0.10 ug/g MAC used by the authors. |
| Apple and pineapple | 0.09 | ug/g fresh weight | Below the 0.10 ug/g fruit/vegetable MAC used by the authors. |
| Mushroom | 0.07 | ug/g fresh weight | Listed among vegetable items below the authors’ 0.10 ug/g MAC. |
| Cabbage | 4.64 | ug/g fresh weight | Highest vegetable item average in the text. |
| Zucchini | 3.36 | ug/g fresh weight | Elevated vegetable item. |
| Sponge gourd | 3.28 | ug/g fresh weight | Elevated vegetable item. |
| Tesla gourd | 2.19 | ug/g fresh weight | Elevated vegetable item. |
| Chili | 1.75 | ug/g fresh weight | Elevated vegetable item. |
| Okra | 1.66 | ug/g fresh weight | Elevated vegetable item. |
| Turmeric | average 80; range <LOD-483 | ug/g | Miscellaneous food-product section; source notes adulteration/exposure concern. |
District-level signals reported by the source:
| Scope | Reported range or high value | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice by district | 0.08-9.64 | ug/g fresh weight | Dhaka lowest; Chapai Nawabganj highest. |
| Wheat by district | <0.01-7.78 | ug/g fresh weight | Mymensingh/Chittagong lowest; Jhenaidah-Kushtia highest. |
| Maize by district | 0.04-6.35 | ug/g fresh weight | Bogra lowest; Jhenaidah-Kushtia highest. |
| Cumulative cereal average, Chapai Nawabganj | 8.07 | ug/g fresh weight | Highest district cereal average. |
| Vegetables, Tangail district | 2.17 | ug/g fresh weight | Highest district vegetable average; sponge gourd 6.38 and chili 5.91 ug/g. |
The authors report that rice, zucchini, tesla gourd, sponge gourd, okra, drumstick lib, chili, and cabbage may pose non-cancer health risks with THQ values above 1, while fruits and pulses did not pose non-cancer health risks in their assessment.
Methods (brief)
The authors conducted a literature survey using combinations of Pb/lead, Bangladesh, and food-category terms for cereals, vegetables, fruits, and pulses. Included papers had to report Pb concentrations in text or tabular format for agricultural products in Bangladesh. Values reported on dry-weight or other bases were standardized by the authors to fresh weight using moisture-content assumptions, and health risks were estimated using Bangladesh food-ingestion rates and US EPA methods.
Implications
This source provides broad Bangladesh-market lead context across cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and turmeric. It is summary-only but not context-only: the reported means, ranges, and district summaries can contribute to evidence pools where literature-survey summary statistics are admitted with the source’s conversion assumptions preserved. It should be excluded from primary US-market product standards unless governance explicitly admits Bangladesh-market sensitivity evidence.
Related evidence
- Rice
- Wheat
- Corn
- Lentils
- Fruit
- Mango
- Banana
- Guava
- Pineapple
- Cabbage
- Vegetables
- Non-root vegetables
- Turmeric
- Mushrooms
- Rice (white, brown, wild — bulk grain)
- Cereal Products
- Legumes and Pulses, Other
- Fresh Fruit
- Non-Root Vegetables
- Spices
- Wild Mushrooms
- Lead
Update history
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