Estimated dietary intake of essential trace elements from selected fruits and vegetables in Minna Town, Nigeria

This study quantitatively evaluates the concentrations, dietary intake, and potential health risks of essential trace elements (Ni, Co, Se, and Mo) in selected fruits and vegetables using experimental and statistical analyses. Elemental concentrations were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), revealing higher levels of Ni (0.624 μg/g) in lettuce, Co (0.131 μg/g) in baobab leaf, Se (0.029 μg/g) in cucumber, and Mo (0.170 μg/g) in cucumber. Estimated daily intake (EDI) calculations indicated that vegetable consumption contributed significantly to dietary exposure, with mean values of Ni (0.3626 μg/kg.bw/day), Co (0.0182 μg/kg.bw/day), Se (0.0134 μg/kg.bw/day), and Mo (0.0614 μg/kg.bw/day). One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in elemental concentrations across different food groups. Pearson correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships between elemental concentration and HI (r > 0.80, p < 0.05) for Co and Mo, while Spearman correlation confirmed similar trends in non-normally distributed data. findings emphasize the need for continuous monitoring of trace elements in food sources and dietary moderation to minimize potential toxicological effects.