Sobhanardakani et al. 2017 — Aluminum and copper in commercial fruit juices, Iran
This study analyzed aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) concentrations in 48 commercially packaged fruit juice samples (cherry, mango, orange, and pineapple; 4 brands × 3 replicates per juice type) from Hamedan, Iran. The mean Al concentration (1.24 ± 0.36 mg/L) exceeded the WHO maximum permissible limit (MPL) of 0.2 mg/L, while Cu (mean 0.04 ± 0.02 mg/L) was well below its MPL of 2.0 mg/L. Despite elevated Al, health risk assessment using estimated average daily intake (EADI) and hazard index (HI) indicated no significant direct health hazard for adults or children. The highest Al was found in cherry juice from Brand 1 (3.30 mg/L), likely reflecting packaging interactions and acid-mediated Al leaching from Tetra Pak materials.
Key numbers
| Metal | Juice type | Range (mg/L) | Mean ± SD (mg/L) | WHO MPL (mg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al | Cherry | 1.01–3.30 | — | 0.2 |
| Al | Mango | 0.10–1.10 | — | 0.2 |
| Al | Orange | 1.01–1.20 | — | 0.2 |
| Al | Pineapple | 1.10–1.50 | — | 0.2 |
| Al | All juices combined | 0.10–3.30 | 1.24 ± 0.36 | 0.2 |
| Cu | Cherry | 0.01–0.20 | — | 2.0 |
| Cu | Mango | 0.01–0.11 | — | 2.0 |
| Cu | Orange | 0.002–0.04 | — | 2.0 |
| Cu | Pineapple | 0.02–0.03 | — | 2.0 |
| Cu | All juices combined | 0.002–0.20 | 0.04 ± 0.02 | 2.0 |
Health risk: EADI for Al = 2.49 × 10⁻³ mg/kg/day (children); HI (Al, children) = 1.25 × 10⁻¹; HI (Al, adults) = 2.70 × 10⁻². Both HI values < 1, indicating no direct hazard. EADI for Cu = 8.04 × 10⁻⁵ mg/kg/day (children); HI (Cu, children) = 2.01 × 10⁻³.
n=48 samples total (4 brands × 4 juice types × 3 replicates). ICP-OES (VARIAN 710-ES). Digestion: 100 mL juice evaporated to dryness at 100°C, ashed at 400°C, dissolved in HNO3/HCl/H2O2, diluted to 50 mL with 1 mol/L HNO3. Body weight assumptions: 70 kg adult, 15 kg child. ADI values used: Al = 0.02 mg/kg/day, Cu = 0.04 mg/kg/day.
Methods (brief)
ICP-OES (VARIAN 710-ES, Australia). Dry ashing method: 100 mL juice evaporated at 100°C, ashed at 400°C in muffle furnace, dissolved in 6 mL HNO3 (65%) + 3 mL HCl (35%) + 0.25 mL H2O2, diluted to 50 mL. Three replications per sample. Statistical analysis: one-sample t-test vs. WHO MPL; one-way ANOVA with DMS post hoc and Duncan multiple range test (SPSS v19). No significant difference between juice types for Al or Cu (P > 0.05).
Key limitation: Al in cherry juice (Brand 1, 3.30 mg/L) is ~16x the WHO MPL; authors attribute this to packaging (Tetra Pak aluminum layer) and acid-mediated leaching, but do not speciate Al forms. HI < 1 suggests low acute risk but chronic low-level Al exposure from packaged juices warrants monitoring.
Implications
Certification: Al concentrations exceed WHO MPL in 3 of 4 juice types; cherry juice highest at up to 3.30 mg/L. HMT&C does not currently certify fruit juices, but this is relevant background for any product formulations containing fruit juice concentrates as ingredients.
Courses: Excellent case study for packaging-source metal contamination (Tetra Pak aluminum leaching into acidic juices); contrasts with food-origin contamination pathways.
App: Supports elevated Al flag for commercially packaged fruit juices, particularly cherry, orange, and pineapple juice. Al is in the HMT&C analyte vocabulary; this data supports its inclusion in beverage/juice product risk profiling.