Reduction of Heavy Metals in Wheat by Treatment with Citric Acid From Lemons

Abstract This study investigates the potential of lemon juice, a natural source of citric acid, to reduce heavy metal content in wheat grains through soaking methods. The results showed a liner relationship between increasing lemon juice concentration and water absorption increased progressively with lemon juice concentration, reaching a maximum at 8 mL before declining, whereas metal reduction was more efficient at 6 mL, indicating distinct optimal conditions for hydration and contaminant removal. FTIR analysis showed a significant shift in UO 2 2 ⁺ oscillations, especially when using 6 ml of lemon juice. Additionally, ICP‐MS analysis revealed significant reduction in key heavy metals, including lead (96.64%), uranium (31.25%), copper (48.66%), and cadmium (81.53%). The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) data quantifies the amount of contaminants an individual is estimated to ingest via a specific food source, in this case, wheat grains. The EDI results revealed that the concentrations of lead (Pb) and uranium (U) exceeded the established tolerable limits in untreated sample. The application of the soaking technique utilizing lemon as a treatment method proved effective in significantly reducing the concentrations of these heavy metals in real food matrix. These results suggest that natural acid treatments such as lemon juice represent as a sustainable method for mitigating heavy metal contamination in foods and may reduce the health risks associated with heavy metal contamination.