Toxic Metals and Metalloids in Infant Formulas Marketed in Brazil, and Child Health Risks According to the Target Hazard Quotients and Target Cancer Risk

Cristine Couto de Almeida, Diego dos Santos Baião, Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues, Tatiana Dillenburg Saint’Pierre, Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis, Katia Christina Leandro, Vania Margaret Flosi Paschoalin, Marion Pereira da Costa and Carlos Adam Conte-Junior ()
Additional contact information
Cristine Couto de Almeida: Graduate Program in Sanitary Surveillance (PPGVS), National Institute of Health Quality Control (INCQS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
Diego dos Santos Baião: Laboratory of Advanced Analysis in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (LAABBM), Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues: Center for Food Analysis (NAL), Technological Development Support Laboratory (LADETEC), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Tatiana Dillenburg Saint’Pierre: Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Rio de Janeiro 22541-041, Brazil
Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis: Laboratory for Environmental Health Assessment and Promotion, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
Katia Christina Leandro: Graduate Program in Sanitary Surveillance (PPGVS), National Institute of Health Quality Control (INCQS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
Vania Margaret Flosi Paschoalin: Laboratory of Advanced Analysis in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (LAABBM), Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Marion Pereira da Costa: Graduate Program in Veterinary Hygiene (PPGHV), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Vital Brazil Filho, Niterói 24230-340, Brazil
Carlos Adam Conte-Junior: Graduate Program in Sanitary Surveillance (PPGVS), National Institute of Health Quality Control (INCQS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: Children are highly vulnerable to chemical exposure. Thus, metal and metalloid in infant formulas are a concern, although studies in this regard are still relatively scarce. Thus, the presence of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, tin, mercury, lead, and uranium was investigated in infant formulas marketed in Brazil by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the Target Hazard Quotients (THQ) and Target Cancer Risk (TCR) were calculated in to assess the potential risk of toxicity for children who consume these products continuously. Aluminum ranging from 0.432 ± 0.049 to 1.241 ± 0.113 mg·kg −1 , arsenic from 0.012 ± 0.009 to 0.034 ± 0.006 mg·kg −1 , and tin from 0.007 ± 0.003 to 0.095 ± 0.024 mg·kg −1 were the major elements, while cadmium and uranium were present at the lowest concentrations. According to the THQ, arsenic contents in infant formulas showed a THQ > 1, indicating potential health risk concerns for newborns or children. Minimal carcinogenic risks were observed for the elements considered carcinogenic. Metabolic and nutritional interactions are also discussed. This study indicates the need to improve infant formula surveillance concerning contamination by potentially toxic and carcinogenic elements.

Keywords: food analysis; food safety; early childhood health; toxic metals; hazard quotient risk; toxicological risk; carcinogenic risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/18/11178/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/18/11178/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:18:p:11178-:d:908203

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().