Health risk assessment of heavy metals with nephrotoxic effects from vegetables and fruits: Taiwan Food-Related Environmental Surveillance of Hazards (T-FRESH).

Vegetables and fruits may accumulate heavy metals from environmental sources, posing potential health risks through dietary exposure. This study aimed to evaluate the potential health risks associated with the intake of heavy metals from vegetables and fruits in Taiwan. Specifically, it assessed the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, barium, manganese, and molybdenum in commonly consumed produce, with a particular focus on nephrotoxic effects. A total of 203 vegetable and 79 fruit samples were analyzed. The highest mean concentrations were observed in stone fruits (arsenic, 26.70 ng/g fresh weight), mushrooms (cadmium, 23.65 ng/g cooked weight), leafy vegetables (lead, 9.90 ng/g cooked weight), citrus fruits (barium, 443.7 ng/g fresh weight), legumes (manganese, 3795.2 ng/g cooked weight), and sprout vegetables (molybdenum, 629.1 ng/g cooked weight). The hazard quotient for arsenic from stone fruits exceeded 1 among high-consuming individuals. Although the overall hazard index for nephrotoxic metals indicated no significant nephrotoxic risk, elevated hazard index values were observed in specific subpopulations, with molybdenum identified as the predominant contributor. The carcinogenic risk from arsenic in stone fruits exceeded the acceptable threshold in individuals aged 19-65 (2.64E-04) and >65-year-old groups (2.99E-04), with leafy vegetable consumption also surpassing this threshold in the >65-year-old group (1.48E-04). These findings highlight the need for enhanced monitoring and targeted dietary risk management strategies.