Lead Contamination in Food

Lead is a heavy metal found naturally in the earth's crust and spread in to the wild in little numbers through natural processes. Lead in the every day life better known as black lead. Lead accumulates in the environment, can not biodegradable and its toxicity has not changed over time. Lead is poisonous if ingested by humans or terhidup and circulate in the body will follow the flow of blood, reabsorbed in the kidneys and brain, and stored in bones and teeth.

Lead is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Symbol taken from the Latin Plumbum. The metal is included in group metals group IV-A in the periodic table of chemical elements. Has the atomic number (NA) 82 by weight (BA) 207.2. Lead metal is corrosion-resistant metal, has a low melting point of about 327.5 ° C, has a giant density, and as a lovely conductor of electricity.

Foods that contain high lead content which is of canned food group, as shown in the list below.

For most people, the main source of lead intake is food which usually contain 100-300 micrograms / day. Food / drinks are packaged in cans, those that are acidic, as evidenced from the research level of lead in cans of 637.64 ± 94.25 ppm and the level of lead that migrate in to the food / beverage can reach 0.171 ± 0.02 ppm.

  one. Canned food: 50-100 micrograms / kg.
  two. Livestock products (liver, kidney): 150 micrograms / kg.
  three. Meat: 50 micrograms / kg.
  three. Fish: 170 micrograms / kg.
  three. Shrimp and scallops:> 250 micrograms / kg.
  6. Cow's milk, fruits and vegetables: 15-20 micrograms / kg.

List of lead-contaminated food groups:

Signs and signs of clinical effect of Pb exposure that arise will be different, as mentioned below:


The results of The National Foof Processors Association revealed the presence of Pb particles is source of contamination in the food / drink canned. The presence of Pb particles can come from a can that be completed soldering on the connection between the sides of the tin plate or tin to form the body between the body and the lid is soldered cans.

one. Acutely exposed

Lead in the air that people breathe may cause signs such as abdominal cramps, colic, and usually begins with constipation, nausea, vomiting. While the result is more like headaches, confusion or anxiety, often fainting and coma. In children, decreased appetite, abdominal pain and vomiting, stiff movement, weakness, do not need to play, sensitive to stimuli, difficulty speaking and weakened brain growth and coma.

Chronic Pb poisoning is slow. Fatigue, lethargy, and irritability are early signs of chronic Pb intoxication. And exposure to low doses had an adverse effect on the development and function of the central nervous technique. Other signs are loss of libido, menstrual disorders and spontaneous abortion in ladies.

two. Chronically exposed

Various measures and precautions necessary in order to prevent and reduce pollution of Pb, this hard work of which is to keep away from using kitchen equipment or food or drinks that may contain lead such as ceramics berglasur, soldered or container which contains paint, etc. other.