Cadmio y arsénico en chocolate y arroz de Quito, Guayaquil y Cuenca – Ecuador

Abstract

Cadmium and arsenic are elements present along the Andes mountains. Theseelements represent a risk to human health due to the health effects that may becaused by the permanent exposure to these elements, which may be present foodssuch as chocolate and rice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the totalresults of arsenic and cadmium in chocolates, rice, soils and cocoa beans in order toidentify the degree of contamination present in these foods. Chocolate sampleswere collected in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, provinces of Ecuador, while rice wascollected in Guayaquil. The samples were processed and analyzed using theGraphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (GFAAS) technique. Onesample of the chocolate samples exceeded the maximum limit of 0.8 mg/kg forcadmium for human consumption, while the rice samples did not exceed themaximum limit of 0.4 mg/kg. For arsenic, chocolate concentrations cannot bedetected in the equipment, while rice did not exceed the 0.2 mg / kg limit for humanconsumption. In cocoa soils, one of twenty samples from Guayaquil exceeded thelimit of 0.5 mg / kg, while samples from a plantation adjacent to Quito city, five oftwelve samples exceeded the limit of cadmium, but the samples of cocoa in thisplantation did not exceed the limit of 0.8 mg / kg. From the results it is concludedthat there is no risk in chocolate and rice samples for human health.