Heavy metal and metalloids intake risk assessment in the diet of a rural population living near a gold mine in the Peruvian Andes (Cajamarca)

Marta Barenys; Nuria Boix; Andreu Farran-Codina; Imma Palma-Linares; Roser Montserrat; Ariadna Curto; Jesus Gomez-Catalan; Pedro Ortiz; Nilton Deza; Juan M Llobet

doi:10.1016/j.fct.2014.06.018

Heavy metal and metalloids intake risk assessment in the diet of a rural population living near a gold mine in the Peruvian Andes (Cajamarca)

Food Chem Toxicol. 2014 Sep:71:254-63. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2014.06.018. Epub 2014 Jun 30.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ GRET-CERETOX and Toxicology Unit, Public Health Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
² GRET-CERETOX and Toxicology Unit, Public Health Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; INSA-UB, Public Health Department, School of Pharmacy and Food and Nutrition Torribera Campus, University of Barcelona, Prat de la Riba, 171, 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain.
³ Nutrition and Food Science Department, School of Pharmacy, Food and Nutrition Torribera Campus, University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
⁴ GRET-CERETOX and Toxicology Unit, Public Health Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
⁵ Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca, Carretera Baños del Inca km 3.5, Cajamarca, Peru.
⁶ Escuela de Postgrado, Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca, Carretera Baños del Inca km 3.5, Cajamarca, Peru.
⁷ GRET-CERETOX and Toxicology Unit, Public Health Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; INSA-UB, Public Health Department, School of Pharmacy and Food and Nutrition Torribera Campus, University of Barcelona, Prat de la Riba, 171, 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jmllobet@ub.edu.

PMID: 24994564
DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2014.06.018

Abstract

This study evaluates the diet composition of a rural population near a gold mine in the Cajamarca district of Peru. The main consumed items by this population were tubers and cereals, and the mean energy intake (1990 kcal) was shown not to cover the recommended intake values for the male population. The concentrations of As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn, Al, Cr and, Cu in drinking water and food samples of items contributing to 91% of this diet (145 samples, 24 different items) were determined and used to calculate their daily intakes for risk assessment. The As, Cd and Pb daily intakes exceeded the limit values established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), entailing serious concerns for the population's health. Moreover, the intake values of As and Pb were shown to be higher, the closer to the gold mine the studied population was.

Keywords: Cajamarca; Gold mine; Heavy metal; Nutrient intake; Risk assessment; Rural diet.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Diet*
Environmental Exposure*
Gold*
Humans
Metals, Heavy / toxicity*
Mining*
Peru
Risk Assessment
Rural Population*

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Gold