Date Fruits

Abstract Background Heavy metals are drawing much attention and excess accumulation of heavy metals in frequently consumed food (e.g., vegetables, fruits) is a serious threat to human health as well as contamination of the food chain. The concentration of heavy metals in Ajwa dates collected from three markets in Dhaka, Bangladesh and from Madinah was analyzed. Average daily intake (ADI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) were also estimated to assess the health risks posed by the intake of heavy metals from the consumption of studied dates. Results The presence and degree of contamination was assessed for chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn). Concentrations of Cd and Ni exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MPL) in some date fruit samples. ADI was found to be lower than the maximum permitted tolerable daily intake in all samples. Hazard indices of samples collected from new market and Badamtali exceeded unit value, due to higher human activity and higher vehicular traffic, signifying potential health hazard from the dietary intake of the studied date fruits. Results of this study, reveals that most of studied heavy metals are within safe limit with respect to maximum allowable levels (MAL) in some date samples and were safe for consumption. Conclusions Higher concentrations of Cd and Ni were found in some samples. Hence, the consumption of dates with higher metal concentration has higher potential health risks. This study suggests that regular monitoring of heavy metals in date fruits is essential to prevent health risks associated with consuming heavy metal contaminated fruits.