Potentially toxic element contamination and health risk assessment in bottled mineral waters consumed in Turkey

This study aimed to evaluate the human health risk posed by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in 59 bottled mineral water (BMW) samples of 25 different brands marketed in Turkey. The concentrations of Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb in the BMW samples were analyzed using an ICP-OES and compared with maximum allowable concentrations (MACs). A higher concentration of As than MAC was detected in five BMW samples. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Al in the majority of BMW samples are higher than the MACs. The human health risk was evaluated for adults estimating non-carcinogenic risk index (HI), incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and total cancer risk (TCR). All HI values estimated for PTEs in BMW samples are less than one, except for one sample. ILCR values for Cd in approximately half of the BMW samples are above the upper limit.

Automated summary

This study aimed to evaluate the human health risks of potential toxic elements (PTEs) in bottled mineral water samples of different brands sold in Turkey. The concentrations of several PTEs, including As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Al, were found to exceed the maximum allowable concentrations. The non-carcinogenic risk index for PTEs in most samples was below one, except for one sample. However, the incremental lifetime cancer risk for Cd exceeded the upper limit in approximately half of the samples.