Would Aluminum and Nickel Content of Apricot Pose Health Risk to Human?

Abstract

Higher demands of food production for human consumption increased uses of fertilizers and other chemicals that arise in a major public problem and heavy-metal pollution. Levels of Aluminum and Nickel which affect mankind health in exact doses, were determined in fresh and dried samples of ‘Jumbo Cot’, ‘Tom Cot’, ‘Gold Strike’, ‘Gold Bar’, Bergeron’, ‘Bergarouge’, ‘Sweet Cot’, ‘Yellow cot’ and ‘Zebra’ apricot cultivars to assess possible health risk of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) consumption. Highest content of Al and Ni among all cultivars, where 9.71 and 2.14 mg/kg of dehydrated apricot samples. Fresh fruit samples maximally contain 2.9 and 0.425 mg/kg of Aluminum and Nickel respectively. Data analysis showed significant differences between cultivars for Al and Ni. Furthermore, to reveal the health-risk possibility of dried and fresh fruit consumption daily intake of elements and health-risk index were calculated and compared.