Chili arsenic contamination in southwest China and its influencing factors / 中国地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine the distribution and influencing factors(dehydration method, storage time and chili varieties) of arsenic contents in chilies from southwest China, and the relationship between arsenic content and selenium content in chilies. Methods There were 272 dried chili samples, 76 groups of fresh chili samples and its corresponding soil samples, which were collected from the markets and peasant households in 76 counties of 9 regions in southwest China, and 36 dried chilies from other regions in China and abroad as a comparison. Their dehydration methods and storage time were investigated. The chilies were classified by Bailey Criteria. Arsenic content and selenium content in chilies were determined with hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Arsenic content in soils were determined with water bath hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrum. Results Their ranges of arsenic content in dried chili and fresh chili were 0.2 - 16 637.3,0.2 - 295.8 μg/kg, respectively. The median of arsenic content in the dried chili was 106.9 μg/kg while it was 0.2 μg/kg (dry weight) in the fresh chili. The chilies median arsenic of different drying methods and storage time, in order were the furnace-dried stored for more 1 than year( 197.3 μg/kg), the sun-dried stored for more than 1 year (130.7 μg/kg), the furnace-dried stored for less than 1 year(94.1 μg/kg), the sun-dried stored for less than 1 year (55.5 μg/kg). The arsenic content of different kinds of solar-dried chilies and roast chilies were different. In solar-dried chilies, the median of arsenic contents from a order of high to low sequences were cluster chili (101.5 μg/kg), cherry chili (95.6 μg/kg), corn chili (86.8 μg/kg), and long chili (47. 1 μg/kg); in roast chilies, the median of arsenic contents from a order of high to low sequences were cherry chili(275.5 μg/kg), cluster chili (173.0 μg/kg), corn chili( 164.3 μg/kg), and long chili( 136.8 μg/kg). The medians of chilies from other regions of China and Turkey were higher than that of southwest China, their median were 125.8,112.3 μg/kg, respectively;the medians of chilies from America, France, and other countries were lower than that of southwest China, their median were 29.4,54.1,85.3 μg/kg, respectively. There was no significant correlation between fresh chilies and its corresponding soil arsenic(r = 0.010, P ＞ 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the amount of arsenic and selenium in chilies(r = 0.616, P ＜ 0.05). Conclusions The arsenic of dried chilies from southwest China was higher than that of fresh chilies. The arsenic of chili was different with different dehydration methods and storage time. There was a significant positive correlation between the amount of arsenic and selenium in chilies.