research article contaminated turmeric is a potential...

Research ArticleContaminated Turmeric Is a Potential Source of Lead Exposurefor Children in Rural Bangladesh

Kelsey Gleason1 James P Shine1 Nadia Shobnam2 Lisa B Rokoff1

Hafiza Sultana Suchanda3 Md Omar Sharif Ibne Hasan3 Golam Mostofa3

Chitra Amarasiriwardena4 Quazi Quamruzzaman5 Mahmuder Rahman3 Molly L Kile5

David C Bellinger16 David C Christiani1 Robert O Wright4 and Maitreyi Mazumdar16

1 Department of Environmental Health Harvard School of Public Health 677 Huntington Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA2 Jefferson Medical College 1025 Walnut Street Philadelphia PA 19107 USA3Oregon State University 15 Milam Corvallis OR 97331 Bangladesh4Mount Sinai School of Medicine 17 East 102nd Street New York NY 10029 USA5Oregon State University 15 Milam Corvallis OR 97331 USA6Department of Neurology Fegan 11 Neurology Boston Childrenrsquos Hospital 300 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA

Correspondence should be addressed to Maitreyi Mazumdar maitreyimazumdarchildrensharvardedu

Received 8 May 2014 Revised 21 July 2014 Accepted 22 July 2014 Published 24 August 2014

Academic Editor Pam R Factor-Litvak

Copyright copy 2014 Kelsey Gleason et alThis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licensewhich permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited

Background During the conduct of a cohort study intended to study the associations between mixed metal exposures and childhealth outcomes we found that 78 of 309 children aged 20ndash40 months evaluated in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh hadblood lead concentrations ge5 120583gdL and 27 had concentrations ge10 120583gdL Hypothesis Environmental sources such as spices(eg turmeric which has already faced recalls in Bangladesh due to high lead levels) may be a potential route of lead exposureMethodsWe conducted visits to the homes of 28 children randomly selected from among high and low blood lead concentrationgroups During the visits we administered a structured questionnaire and obtained soil dust rice and spice samples We obtainedwater samples from community water sources as well as environmental samples from neighborhood businesses Results Leadconcentrations in many turmeric samples were elevated with lead concentrations as high as 483 ppm Analyses showed highbioaccessibility of lead Conclusions Contamination of turmeric powder is a potentially important source of lead exposure in thispopulation

1 Introduction

Lead poisoning remains a major public health problemparticularly for young children in developing countriesSeveral epidemiological investigations have shown a highprevalence of elevated blood lead concentrations amongBangladeshi children living in large urban and industrialcenters [1ndash3] Children in rural Bangladeshi communitiesmay also be at risk of exposure to lead through the continueduse of leaded gasoline in rural areas [2] poorly developedwaste management systems and cottage industries that areincreasingly found in rural settings The harmful effects oflead are exacerbated by poor nutrition and micronutrient

deficiencies also highly prevalent in rural Bangladesh Thepurpose of this study was to evaluate potential sources oflead exposure among children in a rural community inBangladesh who had been identified in an ongoing cohortstudy as having high blood lead concentrations

2 Methods

21 Subject Selection This research was conducted in Sira-jdikhan located in the Munshiganj District in Bangladesha primarily rural and agricultural area largely devoted tothe cultivation of rice and potatoes Sirajdikhan is located293 km southwest of Dhaka city with a total population

Hindawi Publishing CorporationJournal of Environmental and Public HealthVolume 2014 Article ID 730636 5 pageshttpdxdoiorg1011552014730636

2 Journal of Environmental and Public Health

of 14 million and population density of 1439 persons perkm [2] The literacy rate is 564 among males and 557among females Approximately 12 of the district is con-sidered urbanized (having an area around a central placewith improved communication electricity water supplysanitation and nonagricultural occupations) [4] Emerginglocal industries include brick kilns textile weavingdyeingand carpentrywoodworking

Participants were children who are currently enrolled inan ongoing population-based prospective birth cohort studydesigned to investigate the association between prenatalarsenic exposure and neurodevelopment in children Partici-pants were recruited from areas in which Dhaka CommunityHospital (DCH) operates rural health clinics After highblood lead concentrations were identified during an ongoingstudy we selected 30 participants for environmental expo-sure assessment Participants were grouped into quartilesaccording to blood lead concentrations and 15 subjectsfrom both the highest and lowest quartiles were selectedfor participation through random digit assignment Twenty-eight families agreed to participate in exposure assessmentactivities

Details of the recruitment strategy eligibility criteria andsample collection from pregnant women and newborns havebeen published previously [5 6] All children in the birthcohort study were eligible for followup studies and DCH-trained health care workers invited their families to partic-ipate Informed consent was provided by the parents of allparticipants before enrollment Boston Childrenrsquos HospitalrsquosCommittee for Clinical Investigation ceded review of thisstudy to the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Thisstudy was approved by the Human Research Committees atHSPH and DCH

22 Blood Lead Measurements Lead concentrations weremeasured in blood samples collected from fingerstick bloodcollected at 20 to 40 months of age with a subset confirmedwith samples obtained via venipuncture Fingerstick bloodlead concentrations were measured using portable LeadCareII instruments (Magellan Diagnostics Billerica MA USA)that have a reportable range of 33ndash65 120583gdL Before testingstudy staff washed the childrenrsquos hands to avoid lead con-tamination from the skin Each childrsquos finger was prickedwith a single-use lancet and a 50 120583L capillary tube was filledafter discarding the first droplet Test results were availablewithin 10 minutes Daily quality-assurance measures wereperformed according to the userrsquos manual

Blood samples obtained via venipuncture were collectedin trace metal-free tubes for measurement of arsenic man-ganese and lead concentrations the aims of the primarycohort study Samples were analyzed for lead at the tracemetals laboratory at HSPH in Boston Massachusetts Bloodsamples were first weighed (sim1 g) and digested for 24 hoursin 2mL of concentrated nitric acid These samples werethen treated with 1mL of 30 hydrogen peroxide per 1 g ofblood and left overnight Samples were subsequently dilutedto 10mL with deionized water Lead concentrations weremeasured using a dynamic reaction cell-inductively coupledplasma mass spectrometer (DRC-ICP-MS DRC II Perkin

Elmer) Analyses were performed using an external calibra-tionmethod using lutetiumas an internal standard to accountfor instrument drift Continual calibration standards and theuse of a standard reference solution (NIST 1643e Metalsin Water) were used to monitor precision and accuracy ofthe analysis The final sample concentration used in theresults was an average of 5 replicate measurements for eachindividual samples

Quality control included analysis procedural blanksduplicate samples spiked samples and analysis of a certifiedreference material (NIST 955b bovine blood for lead) tomonitor for contamination accuracy and recovery ratesRecovery rates for lead in quality control and spiked sampleswere 81ndash108 and precision was measured as relativestandard deviation (SD) with a result of less than 3 for leadThe average limit of detection (LOD) was 02 120583gdL

23 Questionnaires Trained study staff administered ques-tionnaires that collected medical histories and demographicinformation This questionnaire included detailed questionsabout potential sources of lead exposure including paintdistance to roads and shops battery recycling parentsrsquooccupations and childrenrsquos hand-to-mouth activity

24 Environmental Sample Collection Site visits were con-ducted at each participantrsquos home and trained staff collectedsoil drinking water turmeric and rice samples in tracemetal-free 50mL plastic centrifuge tubes Three batteryrecyclingrecharging plants were visited and soil sampleswere collected from a region of soil closest in proximity tothe shop Soil samples were extracted from an approximately410158401015840times 410158401015840times 110158401015840 area of soil and collected using a plastic

trowel During the ongoing sample collection samples werestored at room temperature in DCH Rice turmeric and soilsamples were sealed with Parafilm and packaged in Colemancoolers for shipment to HSPH Water samples were analyzedat laboratories at the Bangladesh University of Engineeringand Technology (BUET) and Dhaka University

Soil samples were dried and filtered through a 200120583msieve to simulate the size of inadvertent particle ingestionFour grams of soil turmeric or rice was transferred intoX-ray fluorescence (XRF) analytical cups after thoroughhomogenization to determine the concentration of total leadin the samples by X-Ray fluorescence (Nilton XL3T BillericaMA) Rice samples were ground into a fine powder usinga trace metal-free spice grinder The limit of detection byXRF is approximately 10 ppm Water samples were testedusing atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) at laboratoriesat Dhaka University and the Bangladesh University of Engi-neering and Technology The limit of detection by AAS was001mgL

25 Bioaccessibility Analysis Lead bioaccessibility in tur-meric samples was estimated using the simple bioavailabilityextraction test (SBET) an in vitro gastric fluid extractionthat simulates metal dissolution in the stomach The SBETwas performed following procedures previously establishedby the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [7 8]

Journal of Environmental and Public Health 3

Following the SBET analysis lead concentrations were mea-sured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICPMS) to determine the fraction of total lead that wasbioaccessible in simulated gastric fluid

26 Statistical Analyses We calculated descriptive statisticsfor both blood lead measures and selected subject char-acteristics We dichotomized blood lead concentrations atdifferent reference levels corresponding to current US andWorld Health Organization guidelines (ie ge5 120583gdL andge10 120583gdL) The government of Bangladesh currently doesnot have recommended blood lead guidelines for childrenAssociations between demographic variables and blood con-centrations were conducted using Fisherrsquos exact tests Forenvironmental samples we calculated descriptive statisticsAll analyses were performed in SAS version 93 (SAS InstituteInc Cary NC USA)

3 Results

In this analysis we used data from 309 childrenwho providedfingerstick blood samples as of May 1 2013 Venous bloodsamples were available for 176 (57) of these children atthe same visit This sample represents 74 of the plannedenrollment from this site for the birth cohort study Table 1presents the demographic characteristics of children andfamilies

The overall median fingerstick blood lead concentrationat approximately the age of 25 years was 81 120583gdL (rangeltLOD-4430 120583gdL) The mean venous blood lead concen-tration was 80120583gdL (range 20ndash363 120583gdL) There wasgood correlation between venous blood lead concentrationsand fingerstick blood lead concentrations (the Spearmancorrelation coefficient 082119875 lt 0001) In our sample 78 ofthe children tested had fingerstick blood concentrations at orabove the current CDC reference level of 5120583gdL and 27 ofthe children tested had fingerstick blood lead concentrationsat or above the previous CDC action level of 10 120583gdL Similardistributions were seen among venous blood samples with84 of the children having venous blood lead concentrationsabove 5 120583gdL and 26 having concentrations above 10 120583gdL(Table 2) Sex parental education level (low education leveldefined as primary education or less) and BMI were notassociated with elevated blood lead concentrations (resultsnot shown)

Lead concentrations varied among our turmeric sampleswith a mean of sim80 120583gg and a range of ltLOD to 483 120583ggThe average bioaccessibility of lead in turmeric was 429These results are summarized in Figure 1 Soil samples didnot show high concentrations of lead (median = 163 120583ggand maximum = 336 120583gg) Total chromium concentrationswere also measured by XRF to test for the presence ofPbCrO

4and were not elevated Only 3 turmeric samples

had chromium concentrations above the limit of detection(42120583gg maximum = 235 120583gg) No water sample had alead concentration above the limit of detection Additionallyno rice sample had a lead concentration above the level ofdetection Soil samples from three battery recycling shops

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Lead

conc

entr

atio

n (p

pm)

Concentration and bioaccessibility of lead in turmeric samples

Total lead concentration in turmericProportion of total lead concentration that is bioaccessible

Figure 1 Lead concentration in turmeric samples shown with totallead in turmeric and the fraction that is bioaccessible in simulatedgastric fluid Samples with lead concentrations below the limit ofdetection were excluded from bioaccessibility analyses

Table 1 Selected characteristics of study population

SirajdikhanMunshiganj District119899 = 309

Mean (SD)Age (years) 24 (02)BMI (kgm2) 167 (24)Hematocrit (119899 = 271) 356 (39)

Number ()Male sex 158 (511)Place of birth

Home 115 (372)Clinic or hospital 194 (628)

Motherrsquos educationNo primary education 31 (100)Primary education 119 (385)Secondary education 149 (482)Any higher secondary 10 (32)

Fatherrsquos educationNo primary education 57 (184)Primary education 134 (434)Secondary education 102 (330)Any higher secondary 16 (52)

Eating nonfood items (pica)Yes 146 (475)No 162 (524)

showed that the soil inside the shoprsquos walls had elevatedlead (mean = 1632 ppm) but outside of the shops the soillead concentrations were not significantly elevated (mean =28 ppm)


Table 2 Percentage of children at or above selected blood leadconcentrations

Blood leadconcentration (120583gdL)

Fingerstick(119899 = 309)

Venous(119899 = 179)

ge5 783 841ge10 265 256ge20 16 10

4 Discussion

Almost 80 of children aged 20 to 40 months tested inMunshiganj had blood lead concentrations at or above5 120583gdL the reference level currently set by the US Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 26 of thechildren tested had blood lead concentrations at or above theprevious CDC action level of 10 120583gdLThe original intentionof the studywas to investigate arsenic andmanganese toxicityand blood lead concentration was measured as a potentiallyimportant covariate these high blood lead concentrationswere not anticipated

In our study turmeric samples had high concentrationsof lead with high levels of bioaccessibility suggesting thatcontamination of food spices may be an important sourceof lead exposure in this setting The elevated levels of leadin these turmeric samples (mean sim80120583gg range ltLOD to483 120583gg) in conjunction with an average bioaccessibility oflead in turmeric of 429 further support the hypothesis thatturmeric is an important source of lead exposure for thiscohort

Previous reports of elevated blood lead concentrations inBangladeshi children have focused on large cities and indus-trial areas [1ndash3] Sirajdikhan by contrast is a primarily ruralarea providing evidence that lead poisoning in Bangladesh isnot limited to urban centers

Previous research has identified lead-contaminated food-stuffs originating from Bangladesh and India further sup-porting our turmeric findings A recent study by Saha andZaman [9] demonstrates the potential for contamination offoodstuffs such as fish and vegetables to occur in urbanBangladeshi settings In September 2013 the US Food andDrug Administration (FDA) announced voluntary recall bydistributors of Pran brand turmeric powder a Bangladeshicompany due to elevated levels of lead [10] Additional stud-ies identified the presence of contaminated spices originatingfrom India and Bangladesh inmarkets in BostonMA [11ndash13]This study builds upon these reports by identifying turmericas a potential direct exposure route within a vulnerablecommunity

While this research identifies the presence of lead-contaminated turmeric the method of contamination isunknown Uptake of lead from soil into the turmeric is apossible but unlikely source of contamination as previousstudies estimate the maximum uptake of lead into the rootof the plant to be approximately 10 [14] Additionallyit is possible that the addition of lead chromate to thesesamples (to increase the weight and bright color) may bethe source of lead contamination However we did not find

high chromium levels in our turmeric samples as would beexpected with the addition of lead chromate Further testingand closer inspection of the growing and manufacturingprocess is needed

We were not able to assess the amount of turmericingested by children and this is a further limitation of thisstudy We did not find a strong correlation between turmericlead concentrations and blood lead concentrations thoughwe note that the turmeric samples were obtainedmonths afterthe blood concentrationsweremeasuredWe therefore reportthat the high levels of lead in turmeric are a potential risk tothe community

5 Conclusion

There is an urgent need to identify the source of leadexposure in rural communities in Bangladesh Turmeric aspice commonly used in Bangladeshi cooking is a potentialsource of lead exposure Further testing is needed to confirmthese sources Once identified preventative measures can betaken

Ethical Approval

This studywas approved by theHumanResearchCommitteesat the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and DhakaCommunity Hospital (DCH)

Conflict of Interests

The authors report no conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank study staff at Dhaka Com-munity Hospital for performing all field work includingsubject recruitment specimen collection and quality controlThe study staff at Dhaka Community Hospital includes MdShariful IslamShakil RonjitHalder Azizul IslamRazu SakilaAfroz Imam Hossain Salim Mia Monowar Hossain AbulKalam Afroza Khatun Abdul Kader Nazmul Huda NurIslam Tareq Amirul Islam Tutul Israt Jahan Aminul Islamand Mostofa Kamal Ema Rodrigues supervised laboratoryquality control in Boston Fareesa Islam and Nancy Diaoprovided assistance with data management Shaye Mooreand Elizabeth Jarvis provided editorial assistance This studywas funded by the Department of Environmental HealthHarvard School of Public Health Dr Mazumdar was sup-ported by K23 ES017437 from the National Institutes ofEnvironmentalHealth (NIEHS)National Institutes ofHealth(NIH) Additional support was provided by NIEHS GrantsP42 ES16454 and P30 ES000002

References

[1] R Kaiser A K HendersonW R Daley et al ldquoBlood lead levelsof primary school children inDhaka BangladeshrdquoEnvironmen-tal Health Perspectives vol 109 no 6 pp 563ndash566 2001


[2] A K Mitra E Ahua and P K Sana ldquoPrevalence of and riskfactors for lead poisoning in young children in BangladeshrdquoJournal of Health Population and Nutrition vol 30 no 4 pp404ndash409 2012

[3] A K Mitra A Haque M Islam and S A M K Bashar ldquoLeadpoisoning an alarming public health problem in BangladeshrdquoInternational Journal of Environmental Research and PublicHealth vol 6 no 1 pp 84ndash95 2009

[4] ldquoBangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Socio-economic and Demographic Reportrdquo 2011 httpwwwbbsgovbdPageSecureReportaspx

[5] M L Kile A Baccarelli E Hoffman et al ldquoPrenatal arsenicexposure andDNAmethylation inmaternal and umbilical cordblood leukocytesrdquo Environmental Health Perspectives vol 120no 7 pp 1061ndash1066 2012

[6] M L Kile A Baccarelli L Tarantini E Hoffman R OWrightand D C Christiani ldquoCorrelation of global and gene-specificDNA methylation in maternal-infant pairsrdquo PLoS ONE vol 5no 10 Article ID e13730 2010

[7] EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) ldquoStandard OperatingProcedure for an In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay for Leadin Soilrdquo 2012 httpwwwepagovsuperfundbioavailabilitypdfsEPA Pb IVBA SOP 040412 FINAL SRCpdf

[8] EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Guidance for Eval-uating the Oral Bioavailability of Metals in Soils for Use inHuman Health Risk Assessment OSWER 92857-80 2007httpwwwepagovsuperfundbioavailabilitybio guidancepdf

[9] N Saha and M R Zaman ldquoEvaluation of possible health risksof heavy metals by consumption of foodstuffs available in thecentral market of Rajshahi City Bangladeshrdquo EnvironmentalMonitoring and Assessment vol 185 no 5 pp 3867ndash3878 2013

[10] Fahman Enterprises Inc Recalls Pran Brand Turmeric Pow-der due to Elevated Levels of Lead httpwwwfdagovSafetyRecallsucm371206htm

[11] C G Lin L A Schaider D J Brabander and A D WoolfldquoPediatric lead exposure from imported Indian spices andcultural powdersrdquoPediatrics vol 125 no 4 pp e828ndashe835 2010

[12] A D Woolf and N T Woolf ldquoChildhood lead poisoning in2 families associated with spices used in food preparationrdquoPediatrics vol 116 no 2 pp e314ndashe318 2005

[13] C Bergkvist M Kippler J D Hamadani et al ldquoAssessmentof early-life lead exposure in rural Bangladeshrdquo EnvironmentalResearch vol 110 no 7 pp 718ndash724 2010

[14] S A Rahim W M R Idris Z A Rahman T Lihan R Omarand L K Yan ldquoHeavy metal content in selected flavouringplants and in ultra-basic soil of Felda Rokan Barat NegeriSembilan Malaysiardquo Sains Malaysiana vol 41 no 1 pp 11ndash212012

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of 14 million and population density of 1439 persons perkm [2] The literacy rate is 564 among males and 557among females Approximately 12 of the district is con-sidered urbanized (having an area around a central placewith improved communication electricity water supplysanitation and nonagricultural occupations) [4] Emerginglocal industries include brick kilns textile weavingdyeingand carpentrywoodworking

Participants were children who are currently enrolled inan ongoing population-based prospective birth cohort studydesigned to investigate the association between prenatalarsenic exposure and neurodevelopment in children Partici-pants were recruited from areas in which Dhaka CommunityHospital (DCH) operates rural health clinics After highblood lead concentrations were identified during an ongoingstudy we selected 30 participants for environmental expo-sure assessment Participants were grouped into quartilesaccording to blood lead concentrations and 15 subjectsfrom both the highest and lowest quartiles were selectedfor participation through random digit assignment Twenty-eight families agreed to participate in exposure assessmentactivities

Details of the recruitment strategy eligibility criteria andsample collection from pregnant women and newborns havebeen published previously [5 6] All children in the birthcohort study were eligible for followup studies and DCH-trained health care workers invited their families to partic-ipate Informed consent was provided by the parents of allparticipants before enrollment Boston Childrenrsquos HospitalrsquosCommittee for Clinical Investigation ceded review of thisstudy to the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Thisstudy was approved by the Human Research Committees atHSPH and DCH

22 Blood Lead Measurements Lead concentrations weremeasured in blood samples collected from fingerstick bloodcollected at 20 to 40 months of age with a subset confirmedwith samples obtained via venipuncture Fingerstick bloodlead concentrations were measured using portable LeadCareII instruments (Magellan Diagnostics Billerica MA USA)that have a reportable range of 33ndash65 120583gdL Before testingstudy staff washed the childrenrsquos hands to avoid lead con-tamination from the skin Each childrsquos finger was prickedwith a single-use lancet and a 50 120583L capillary tube was filledafter discarding the first droplet Test results were availablewithin 10 minutes Daily quality-assurance measures wereperformed according to the userrsquos manual

Blood samples obtained via venipuncture were collectedin trace metal-free tubes for measurement of arsenic man-ganese and lead concentrations the aims of the primarycohort study Samples were analyzed for lead at the tracemetals laboratory at HSPH in Boston Massachusetts Bloodsamples were first weighed (sim1 g) and digested for 24 hoursin 2mL of concentrated nitric acid These samples werethen treated with 1mL of 30 hydrogen peroxide per 1 g ofblood and left overnight Samples were subsequently dilutedto 10mL with deionized water Lead concentrations weremeasured using a dynamic reaction cell-inductively coupledplasma mass spectrometer (DRC-ICP-MS DRC II Perkin

Elmer) Analyses were performed using an external calibra-tionmethod using lutetiumas an internal standard to accountfor instrument drift Continual calibration standards and theuse of a standard reference solution (NIST 1643e Metalsin Water) were used to monitor precision and accuracy ofthe analysis The final sample concentration used in theresults was an average of 5 replicate measurements for eachindividual samples

Quality control included analysis procedural blanksduplicate samples spiked samples and analysis of a certifiedreference material (NIST 955b bovine blood for lead) tomonitor for contamination accuracy and recovery ratesRecovery rates for lead in quality control and spiked sampleswere 81ndash108 and precision was measured as relativestandard deviation (SD) with a result of less than 3 for leadThe average limit of detection (LOD) was 02 120583gdL

23 Questionnaires Trained study staff administered ques-tionnaires that collected medical histories and demographicinformation This questionnaire included detailed questionsabout potential sources of lead exposure including paintdistance to roads and shops battery recycling parentsrsquooccupations and childrenrsquos hand-to-mouth activity

24 Environmental Sample Collection Site visits were con-ducted at each participantrsquos home and trained staff collectedsoil drinking water turmeric and rice samples in tracemetal-free 50mL plastic centrifuge tubes Three batteryrecyclingrecharging plants were visited and soil sampleswere collected from a region of soil closest in proximity tothe shop Soil samples were extracted from an approximately410158401015840times 410158401015840times 110158401015840 area of soil and collected using a plastic

trowel During the ongoing sample collection samples werestored at room temperature in DCH Rice turmeric and soilsamples were sealed with Parafilm and packaged in Colemancoolers for shipment to HSPH Water samples were analyzedat laboratories at the Bangladesh University of Engineeringand Technology (BUET) and Dhaka University

Soil samples were dried and filtered through a 200120583msieve to simulate the size of inadvertent particle ingestionFour grams of soil turmeric or rice was transferred intoX-ray fluorescence (XRF) analytical cups after thoroughhomogenization to determine the concentration of total leadin the samples by X-Ray fluorescence (Nilton XL3T BillericaMA) Rice samples were ground into a fine powder usinga trace metal-free spice grinder The limit of detection byXRF is approximately 10 ppm Water samples were testedusing atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) at laboratoriesat Dhaka University and the Bangladesh University of Engi-neering and Technology The limit of detection by AAS was001mgL

25 Bioaccessibility Analysis Lead bioaccessibility in tur-meric samples was estimated using the simple bioavailabilityextraction test (SBET) an in vitro gastric fluid extractionthat simulates metal dissolution in the stomach The SBETwas performed following procedures previously establishedby the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [7 8]




3 Results






0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Lead

conc

entr

atio

n (p

pm)

















Venous(119899 = 179)

ge5 783 841ge10 265 256ge20 16 10

4 Discussion








5 Conclusion


Ethical Approval




Acknowledgments


References





















of






Disease Markers



OncologyJournal of





PPAR Research



Journal of

ObesityJournal of



















3 Results






0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Lead

conc

entr

atio

n (p

pm)

















Venous(119899 = 179)

ge5 783 841ge10 265 256ge20 16 10

4 Discussion








5 Conclusion


Ethical Approval




Acknowledgments


References





















of






Disease Markers



OncologyJournal of





PPAR Research



Journal of

ObesityJournal of




















Venous(119899 = 179)

ge5 783 841ge10 265 256ge20 16 10

4 Discussion








5 Conclusion


Ethical Approval




Acknowledgments


References





















of






Disease Markers



OncologyJournal of





PPAR Research



Journal of

ObesityJournal of



































of






Disease Markers



OncologyJournal of





PPAR Research



Journal of

ObesityJournal of
















research article contaminated turmeric is a potential...

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