Determination of Heavy Metal Levels in Edible Salt

Background: Edible salt is the most commonly used food additive worldwide. Therefore, any contamination of table salt could be a health hazard. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the levels of heavy metals in table and bakery refined salts. Materials and Methods: Eighty-one table refined salt samples and the same number of bakery refined salt samples were purchased from retail market in the province of Hamadan, Iran. The levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy method. Results: The levels (mean ± SD, μg/g) of Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu, Fe in table refined salt samples were ۰.۸۵۲ ± ۰.۲۷۷, ۰.۲۲۹ ± ۰.۰۱۲, ۰.۰۵۴ ± ۰.۰۴۰, ۱.۲۵ ± ۰.۲۴۵ and ۰.۶۸۹ ± ۱.۵۸, respectively. The results for the same metals in bakery refined salt samples were as follows (mean ± SD, μg/g): ۲۲ ± ۰.۳۲۰ for Pb, ۰.۲۴۰ ± ۰.۰۱۸ for Cd, ۰.۰۵۸ ± ۰.۰۰۷ for Hg, ۱.۸۹ ± ۰.۲۱۸ for Cu, and ۸.۷۵ ± ۲.۱۰ for Fe. Heavy metal concentrations were generally higher in bakery refined salt. Conclusions: The results obtained in the present study were compared with the literature and legal limits. All values for these metals in the table and bakery refined salts were lower than the permitted consumption level defined by Codex (۲ μg/g of Pb, ۰.۵ μg/g of Cd, ۰.۱ μg/g of Hg, and ۲ μg/g of Cu).