Determination of essential and toxic elements content of Turkish peanut and assessment of health risk

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), which is one of the most important members of the legumes family, contains appreciable amounts of high-quality dietary oil and vegetable protein. It can be added to many foods to enhance their levels of high-quality protein in diets lacking in nutrition. In this study, 18 essential elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Mg, P, S, K, Ca, Cl, Br and I) and 4 non-essential potentially toxic elements (Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb) in 42 peanut samples from Mediterranean region of Turkey were analysed by using an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The most abundant essential elements of K, P, S, Ca, Mg and Cl were determined with average concentrations of 13437, 5058, 3451, 1786, 1759 and 209 mg kg−1, respectively. The daily intake of potentially toxic elements for an adult person due to the consumption of peanuts was estimated based on the measured concentrations of the potentially toxic elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sn, Cd, Pb, and Hg). The results revealed that peanut samples contain health-enhancing nutritional elements and consumption of peanut samples as food does not pose any health risk for toxic metals.