Quality assessment of edible vegetable oils for presence of some toxic heavy metals [electronic resource].

Includes references.

A total of 45 samples of vegetable oils including soybean and sunflower mixture, sunflower and corn oils (15 each) were examined for detection of the levels of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) before and after frying. The oil samples were evaluated according to their safety for human consumption based on provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI). The obtained results revealed that the lead concentrations before frying were ranged from 0.0254 - 0.0885, 0.0326 - 0.0577 and 0.0463 - 0.0491 mg/kg for the examined samples, respectively. The cadmium levels before frying were ranged from below detectable limits (BDL) - 0.0016, 0.0007 - 0.0014 and 0.0015 - 0.0029 mg/kg for the examined samples, respectively. Moreover, the results pointed out that a significant decrease in the levels of metals in the examined oil samples after frying. The concentrations of lead and cadmium were within the maximum permissible limits (MPL). The. results also illustrated that PTWI of the examined samples not exceeded the permissible limit fixed for lead and cadmium. The source of metals contamination and public health significance were also discussed.

Summary in Arabic.