Heavy Metal Analysis of Fruit Juice and Soft Drinks Bought From Retail Market in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Aims: To determine the levels of Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn in fruit juice and soft drinks bought from retail markets in Accra as heavy metals contamination has become a matter of public health concern but this has not received much research attention in Ghana especially fruit juice and soft drinks contamination through heavy metals. Study Design: The results obtained from the analysis were compared with WHO specifications of heavy metals in drinking water. Place and Duration of Study: Food Chemistry Division of CSIR- Food Research Institute in Accra, Ghana between June and December 2012 Methodology: Twenty bottles comprising of fruit juice and soft drinks bought from retail markets in Accra, were analysed using the dry ashing method. Acid digestion was carried out during the sample preparation and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer used to read the absorbance values at appropriate wavelength of the interested metal in the sample solution. The metal content of the samples were derived from calibration curves made up of minimum of three standards. Results: The mean concentrations of heavy metals were in the order Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu for fruit juice and soft drinks. In the fruit juice samples analysed, the mean concentrations of heavy metals determined were 0.83±0.48 mg.L-1, 9.07±3.62 mg.L-1, 1.59±0.90 mg.L-1, 3.33±1.29 mg.L-1 for Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn respectively whiles in the soft drink samples, the mean concentrations of heavy metals determined were 0.34±0.05 mg.L-1, 7.72±3.12 mg.L1, 0.72±0.99 mg.L1-, 1.07±0.66 mg.L-1 for Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn respectively. Conclusion: The concentration of some of the heavy metals found in both fruit juice and soft drinks were above the safe limit recommended by WHO.