Heavy Metals in Foods and Beverages: Global Situation, Health Risks and Reduction Methods

Heavy metals are chemical elements with a toxic effect on the human body. The expansion of industries has led to significant increasing levels of these constituents in the environment. Intensive agriculture can also lead to an increased concentration of heavy metals as a result of using different fertilizers and pesticides. Heavy metal accumulation in soil and plants represents a serious issue because of the potential risks to consumers. There are several methods available for the removal of these toxic components from different substrates (chemical precipitation, electrodialysis, coagulation and flocculation, photocatalytic removal, and adsorption-based processes), but most procedures are expensive and difficult to perform. Thus, more research is needed on the development of low-cost methods in foods. This work represents a review on the heavy metal presence in different food substrates (such as fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, meat and meat derivatives, oils, and alcoholic beverages) and provides an overview of the current situation worldwide, taking into account the fact that risks for human health are induced by the intensification of industry and the high degree of pollution. Considering that the toxicological quality of food affects its acceptability, this work provides valuable data regarding the actual situation on the proposed topic

Variaţia coeficientului de adsorbţie a calciului ionic pe cationit cu grupări sulfonice

Determination of the adsorption coefficient is essential for all retention processes of ionic species on surfaces, to determine the process efficiency and influence of the various factors on the adsorption. Calcium ions are present in significant quantities in many natural waters, causing high values of hardness, implicitly restricting the possibilities of using these waters. Decreasing the content of ionic calcium from aqueous solutions can be done by retaining them on cation exchangers, soin the present paperwe chose a sulphonic resin -Dowex 50-to study the calcium adsorption from aqueous solutions of different concentrations. We determined both the values of the adsorption coefficient over time for each concentration in the dynamic process as well as the correlation between the amount of ion in the initial solution and that retained on the surface of the adsorbent, depending on the amount of resin used

Electrochemical studies on the stability and corrosion resistance of two austenitic stainless steels for soft drinks containers

Austenitic stainless steel alloys are used in different food industry applications, including the preparation and storage of acidified carbonated soft drinks. Yet, austenitic stainless steels are not inert materials in contact with these drinks, and eventual modifications of these alloys must be investigated. Three carbonated soft drinks were investigated as for their effect on the stability of FeCrNi and FeCrNiMo alloys using two electrochemical techniques, namely linear potentiodynamic polarization (LPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), at 25 ºC. The high corrosion resistance of the austenitic stainless steel alloys in the soft drinks was provided by the formation of a rather stable passive film formed by metal oxides. Also, the electrochemical behaviour was related to an inhibitory action by caffeine as evidenced using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods, with good correlations between the

POTENTIAL VALORISATION OF PROTOBIND 1000 AS ADSORBENT FOR Pb 2+ AND Zn 2+

The adsorption of metal ions from increasing concentrations in aqueous solutions by modified straw lignin Protobind 1000 was studied. The effect of metallic ion concentrations (from 20.72 to 207.2 mg·L-1 for Pb2+ and from 6.538 to 65.38 mg·L-1 for Zn2+) and contact time (30, 60 and 90 minutes) were studied at pH = 6 and 200C. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations were applied to assess equilibrium data and the kinetics of the adsorption processes were analysed using Lagergren pseudo first order and Ho&McKay pseudo second order models. The results show that the adsorption processes reached equilibrium after 90 minutes, but similar values were registered after 60 minutes. The Freundlich isotherm described the process better, denoting chemisorption with the formation of ion-lignin complex structures. The Ho&McKay model fit the adsorption data better with regression coefficients equal to 1 compared to the Lagergren model, where the regression factors varied between 0.72 and 0.95. For the maximum concentration of lead solution and the longest adsorption time of 90 minutes, the Ho&McKay model predicted an equilibrium capacity qe of 13.1406 mg·g-1 compared to the 13.1398 mg·g-1 obtained. For zinc adsorption, the same maximum concentration and time were considered, and the pseudo-second order model predicted a qe of 12.6743 mg·g-1 compared to the obtained value of 12.6714 mg·g-1. The uptake of lead was greater on 0.15 g of adsorbent (a maximum of 27.23 mg·g-1) than the zinc uptake (a maximum of 8.28 mg·g-1), for all analysed concentrations

Observaţii asupra conţinutului în azotiţi la unele fructe şi legume la păstrarea în diferite condiţii

Due to the low caloric intake, correlated with the high content of vitamins, fiber and mineral salts, plant foods are essential for a healthy diet. On the other hand, plant products can also be an important source of potentially harmful compounds, such as nitrogen, residues from fertilizer treatments and soil conditioners.The problem has become particularly relevant since frequent acute and chronic intoxications have been reported in young children who have consumed these substances in water or food, becoming even more complex after highlighting the cumulative effect of nitrates and the possibility of carcinogenic nitrosamines.This study was performed using 5 samples of fruits: red apple, golden apple, grapefruit, pears, lemons and 5 samples of vegetables: green peppers, cucumbers, squash, onions, cabbage. The nitrate content was analyzed and compared during storagefor 7 days at different temperatures

Electrochemical investigation of the corrosion resistance of Ti20Mo alloys in simulated physiological solution with added proteins for biomaterial application

Corrosion behaviour of the studied Ti20Mo alloy together with the currently used metallic biomaterials Ti6Al4V, and Ti6Al7Nb alloys was investigated for biomedical applications. All the samples were examined using electrochemical techniques: linear polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in electrochemical media: Ringer’s solution with proteins at 37 oC. The passive behaviour for all the Ti samples is observed for Ringer’s solution with proteins. The Ti20Mo alloy underwent spontaneous passivation, and exhibited more positive zero current potential (EZCP), and lower corrosion current densities (jcorr) than Ti6Al4V, and Ti6Al7Nb alloys. The Ti20Mo alloy appears to posses superior corrosion resistance in Ringer’s solution with proteins than the Ti6Al4V, and Ti6Al7Nb biomaterials

Evaluation of phenolic compounds in white wines treated with enzymes

Wine's quality is influenced both by the grape characteristics and winemaking protocols. Awareness of the significant role of enzymes preparations in beverages technologies contributes to the optimization of the manufacturing process, for improving the chemical composition of the resulting wine and its organoleptic properties. This paper focuses on monitoring the impact of different commercial enzymes (pectinases and β-glycosides) on the main phenolic compounds content of Sauvignon blanc wines. For this experiment, ten phenolic compounds were quantified using a liquid-chromatography (LC) system coupled with ion trap mass spectrometer. The results indicated a significant influence of enzymes on wine’s phenolic fraction. Experimental samples presented high content in protocatechuic acid (9.99 - 13.75 μg/mL) and caftaric acid (2.69 - 9.80 μg/mL). The use of pectinases lead to an increase of phenolic compound’s concentration compared to the control

Potential valorisation of Protobind 1000 as adsorbent for Pb2+ AND Zn2+

The adsorption of metal ions from increasing concentrations in aqueous solutions by modified straw lignin Protobind 1000 was studied. The effect of metallic ion concentrations (from 20.72 to 207.2 mg·L-1 for Pb2+ and from 6.538 to 65.38 mg·L-1 for Zn2+) and contact time (30, 60 and 90 minutes) were studied at pH = 6 and 200C. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations were applied to assess equilibrium data and the kinetics of the adsorption processes were analysed using Lagergren pseudo first order and Ho&McKay pseudo second order models. The results show that the adsorption processes reached equilibrium after 90 minutes, but similar values were registered after 60 minutes. The Freundlich isotherm described the process better, denoting chemisorption with the formation of ion-lignin complex structures. The Ho&McKay model fit the adsorption data better with regression coefficients equal to 1 compared to the Lagergren model, where the regression factors varied between 0.72 and 0.95. For the maximum concentration of lead solution and the longest adsorption time of 90 minutes, the Ho&McKay model predicted an equilibrium capacity qe of 13.1406 mg·g-1 compared to the 13.1398 mg·g-1 obtained. For zinc adsorption, the same maximum concentration and time were considered, and the pseudo-second order model predicted a qe of 12.6743 mg·g-1 compared to the obtained value of 12.6714 mg·g-1. The uptake of lead was greater on 0.15 g of adsorbent (a maximum of 27.23 mg·g-1) than the zinc uptake (a maximum of 8.28 mg·g-1), for all analysed concentrations

Efficiency of some screening methods used in monitoring the quality of vegetable substrates and the presence of mycotoxins

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of screening methods applied in the analysis of plant products (cereal seeds, feed, hay, etc.) used in agriculture and animal husbandry. Their screening can be done both during the harvesting season aswell as during their storage for the cold season. Information regarding the physico-chemical parameters and mycotoxicological load may be obtained by applying this rapid screening techniques. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) screening techniques can provide a quick result regarding the quality of plant products. In this study, the efficiency of using the Perten FT-NIR Analyzer in determining the physico-chemical parameters was tested. The sample were scanned and the values were provided shortly after. The analyzed products were also tested from a mycotoxicological point of view by identifying the presence of different types of mycotoxins in plant products by applying thin layer chromatography (TLC). The use of fast screening methods leads to lower costs, elimination of toxicity and shortening of the time to results