Health risk assessment of lead in some commercial turmeric brands collected from local markets in Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Lead present as a contamination in turmeric may have serious adverse health effects due to its toxicity. The present study compared the estimated daily intake (EDI) of lead based on concentrations in turmeric samples collected from local markets in Los Angeles with a reference dose calculated using the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) maximum allowable dose level (MADL). Turmeric samples (n = 15) representing five brands were analyzed for lead using inductively coupled plasma– mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The lead concentrations in the five turmeric brands were 0.105±0.095, 0.051±0.002, 0.206±0.014, 0.072±0.041, and 0.204±0.062 mg/kg, respectively. The EDIs based on lead concentrations in all turmeric samples were lower than the calculated reference dose (7.1E-6 mg kgbw−1 day−1). The target hazard quotients (THQs) for all turmeric brands were 0.21, 0.10, 0.40, 0.14, and 0.40, indicating minimal risk of non-carcinogenic effects associated with consuming these turmeric brands. The cancer risk (CR) values associated with the five turmeric brands were 1.27E-8, 6.20E-9, 2.46E-8, 8.50E-9, and 2.46E-8, which were all below the acceptable cancer risk limits of 1E-6 set forth by the US Environmental Protection Agency.