Assessment of Ecotoxicological Fate of Lead Pollution in Environment through Investigating Bio-concentration in Agro-based Products in Bangladesh

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Hossain, A.M.M. Maruf | Islam, M. Shahidul | Rahman, Md. Moklesur | Mamun, Md. Mustafa | Kazi, M. Azizul Islam | Elahi, Syed Fazle

Affiliations: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology 261 Cheomdan-gwangiro (Oryong-dong), Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea | Analytical Research Division, BCSIR Laboratories, Dhaka - 1205, Bangladesh | Department of Soil, Water and Environment, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka - 1000

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Abstract: Leaded gasoline has long been used as fuel for motor vehicles though the problem of lead pollution in Dhaka was identified only in 1980. Use of leaded gasoline has declined by most part though phasing out of leaded gasoline does not mean phase out of lead from the environment. Hence, fate of lead in polluted environment from various sources should get high priority in R & D programmes. The worst fate of lead in environment can be its entrance into food chain. To investigate bio-concentration of lead in agro-based products as an approach of assessing its ecotoxicological fate, commercially produced chicken eggs and liquid milks were selected as layer poultry feed and liquid milk production are directly dependent on feed crop production. Twelve eggs were sampled randomly each from Dhaka and its nearby seven districts covering the central region of Bangladesh. Thirteen kinds of liquid milks commercially produced by six prominent milk producers have been sampled with three replicates in each. Out of the 192 samples from 96 eggs, dry weight basis mean lead concentration was found to be 8.1611 ppm with a sample standard deviation of 0.5253, which is about 80 times higher than the maximum permissible limit, while the maximum detected value was found to be 34.5637 ppm. The mean concentration of lead in milks was found to be 1.5081 ppm with a sample standard deviation of 0.2177, which is some 75 times higher than maximum permissible limit in liquid milk. By consuming a single egg and 250 mL of commercially produced liquid milk in a day, a person is exposed to daily dietary exposure of some 99.9722 μg and 377.025 μg of lead, respectively excluding the other foods consumed.

Keywords: Lead pollution, lead bioconcentration, chemical food safety, public health

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 105-110, 2010