Determination of Some Heavy Metal Contents in Chips Sample Collected from Some Libyan Markets

The global surge in the consumption of ultra-processed foods, particularly potato chips, has raised significant public health concerns regarding nutritional deficiencies and heavy metal contamination. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive quantitative analysis of selected heavy metals Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Iron (Fe) in seven different brands of potato chips available in local markets in El-Beida City, Libya. The samples were digested using concentrated nitric acid and analyzed via Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The results indicated that the concentrations of heavy metals fluctuated within the following ranges: Cr (0.121 – 1.401 ppm), Zn (1.9672 – 3.6674 ppm), Cu (0.136 – 0.675 ppm), and Fe (0.520 – 1.995 ppm). Zinc recorded the highest average concentration (2.854 ppm). Notably, Sample 5 exhibited a relatively high concentration of Chromium (1.401 ppm) compared to the other samples. A health risk assessment was conducted using guidelines established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) values for all metals were found to be very low. The total Hazard Index (HI) was calculated to be 0.00663, which is significantly below the threshold of 1, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk. Furthermore, the Target Cancer Risk (TCR) for Chromium was calculated at falling within the globally acceptable risk range. In conclusion, the consumption of the studied potato chip brands does not pose an immediate health risk regarding the analyzed elements under normal consumption conditions, though continuous monitoring of Chromium sources is recommended.