Assessment of metal elements and health risks in consumable nuts from China by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

In this work, 26 metal elements in 14 widely consumed nut varieties were measured using ICP-MS. The method performed satisfactorily, with detection limits between 0.003 and 0.6 mg/kg, recoveries ranging from 92.3% to 113.2%, and with relative standard deviations all under 10%. Principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and Spearman correlation revealed distinct metal accumulation patterns. Health risk assessment indicates that in actual weekly intake, the highly toxic metals Pb, Cd, Cr and As fell within the allowable limits. Both the target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index were below 1 for all the toxic metals. On the other hand, the carcinogenic risk (CR) of As, Cd, and Cr were within acceptable ranges, Ni exhibited a CR value exceeding 10 –4 , indicating a potential carcinogenic risk of Ni. Overall, our findings support the general safety of nut consumption at typical intake levels, conferring key data for dietary guidance and food safety monitoring. The layout of the detection method developed in this work for determinations of 26 metal elements in 14 widely consumed nut varieties from China using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. • The contents of 26 metal elements were quantified for 14 types of nuts by ICP–MS. • Multivariate data analysis (PCA and HCA) revealed distinct clustering patterns of the metals. • The exposure to four toxic metal elements (Pb, Cd, Cr and As) was assessed by PTWI. • Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were assessed for potentially toxic metals. • The CR values of Ni were above 10 –4 in all nut types, being the highest in peanuts.