Recent studies presented at the 2023 Society for Risk Analysis Annual Conference shed light on the relationship between heavy metal exposure in food and the risk of cancer and other serious health issues.
This research has gained significance following reports of high metal levels in various food products, including those for infants and children.
Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium can contaminate food crops when they are present in the soil, air, and water used for cultivation. This contamination poses health risks to consumers.
The first study, led by Felicia Wu, a food scientist at Michigan State University, evaluated the health risks associated with dietary exposure to lead, arsenic, and cadmium.
The research team collected data on metal intake from various sources, including food and water samples, and analyzed the strength of the association between dietary exposure and adverse health effects. The study considered both cancer and non-cancer health risks.
Lead, commonly found in old paint, water pipes, and contaminated soil, was associated with moderate to high-risk scores for lung, kidney, bladder, stomach, and brain cancers.
It also showed moderate to high scores for non-cancer risks, including hematopoietic, reproductive, neurological, renal, and respiratory effects.
Arsenic, a naturally occurring toxic element, can contaminate drinking water and food, especially in regions with high soil arsenic levels. The study found moderate to high scores for skin, bladder, lung, kidney, and liver cancers linked to arsenic exposure.
Non-cancer risks associated with arsenic exposure included skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, immunological, neurological, reproductive, developmental, and renal effects.
Cadmium, found in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereal grains, leafy green vegetables, and tobacco smoke, showed moderate to high-risk scores for prostate, renal, bladder, breast, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers.
Non-cancer risks included renal, developmental, reproductive, immunological, and neurological effects. Earlier research by Wu also highlighted high cadmium exposure in baby food.
In the second study, Wu and Ph.D. student Rubait Rahman conducted a cancer risk assessment related to inorganic arsenic in various food products in the United States.
Their preliminary estimates suggested that over 6,000 additional cases of bladder and lung cancers and over 7,000 cases of skin cancers could be attributed to the consumption of inorganic arsenic in the United States annually.
Certain food products, such as rice, wheat, and leafy green vegetables, were associated with higher cancer risks.
The study involved a comprehensive review of scientific literature, including data from regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Quantitative cancer risk assessment models were applied to estimate the probability of cancer occurrence due to inorganic arsenic exposure through different food products.
These findings highlight the importance of monitoring and regulating heavy metal contamination in food to protect public health.
They also emphasize the need for consumers to be aware of potential risks associated with heavy metal exposure through their diets.
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