Biological Trace Element Research

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02072-4

Assessment of Essential and Potentially Toxic Elements and Possible

Health Risks in Hylocereus undatus and Punica granatum
M. Rahman 1,2 & M. A. Islam 1,2 & M. M. Zaved 2

Received: 5 January 2020 / Accepted: 30 January 2020

# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract
This study evaluates essential and toxic element contents in dragon (Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton and Rose) and
pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and possible health risks through the consumption of these fruits. Total concentrations of
15 chemical elements (Al, Br, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined by instrumental neutron
activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) techniques. This study indicates that these fruits are a vital
source of essential elements for human health. It is observed that Pb concentrations were higher in both fruits whereas Cd
concentrations were slightly higher than WHO/FAO tolerable levels only in pomegranate. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of the
chemical elements was within the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) values. Furthermore, target hazard quotient (THQ)
values were also within the safe level (THQ < 1). However, the calculated target carcinogenic risk (TCR) values of Cd for
pomegranate and Cr for dragon fruit were higher than the maximum limit (1.0 × 10−4) for children. Finally, this study will create
public awareness about micronutrient contents as well as metal contaminations of the studied fruits.

Keywords Essential elements . Toxic elements . Fruits . Dietary intake . Health risks . Instrumental neutron activation analysis .
Atomic absorption spectrometry

Introduction organisms. However, several researchers have informed that

Fruits are one of the major sources of micronutrients that keep
the body fit and strong. But nowadays, fruits may be contam-
inated by many ways like environmental pollution, water pol-
lution, industrial effluents, and excess uses of agricultural pes-
ticides [1–3]. The total productions of fruits are growing up
due to high consumption and high profit worldwide. Recently,
there are a number of researchers working in the field of food
safety and health issues [4]. Some elements act against the
diseases in the body at a certain concentration level and give
support to carry out of biochemical functions in all living
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article
(https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02072-4) contains supplementary
material, which is available to authorized users.
* M. A. Islam
liton80m@baec.gov.bd; liton80m@yahoo.com
1
Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Atomic Energy Research
Establishment, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh
2
Department of Nuclear Science & Engineering, Military Institute of
Science and Technology, Mirpur, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
essential elements may cause many types of diseases in the
body, when these elements are consumed at high concentra-
tions [5, 6]. On the other hand, some elements (toxic) have
toxic effects even at very low concentrations for human
health. Therefore, characteristics and functions of the elements
depend on the types of the elements and their concentration
levels [7, 8].
Trace elements in fruits are generally classified into two
groups—essential (copper, zinc, iron, manganese, cobalt,
etc.) and toxic (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, etc.)
[9]. Essential elements take place a vital role in the body
functions due to chemical, nutritional, and biological proper-
ties [10]. Toxic elements may damage human and animal or-
gans due to non-biodegradable behavior, long half-lives, and
high accumulation behavior in different body parts [11, 12].
This accumulation occurs carcinogenic, non-carcinogenic,
and mutagenic effects in the body [12].
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is cultivated in tropical
and subtropical regions of the word. It is also cultivated in
Bangladesh from ancient time and popular for its nutrition
values [13]. Pomegranate is also a medicinal fruit that is used
for cancer treatment [14] and potential dietary fiber source for
food enrichment [15]. On the other hand, dragon fruit

(Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton and Rose) is consid-
ered as a popular and attractive fruit all over the world.
Currently, it is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions
of the world. Bangladesh has also started to cultivate this fruit
about 5 years ago. Previous research has shown that dragon
fruit has significant health benefits like treatments for memory
losses, prevention of cancer, control of blood cholesterol and
glucose level in diabetic patients, prevention of oxidation [16],
and additionally a potential source of micronutrients [17].
Although several researches on these two fruits have been
done, however, most of these studies are on their pharmaceu-
tical and mutagenic properties [9, 18]. The aims of this re-
search are, firstly, to evaluate essential and toxic element con-
tents in the H. undatus L. and P. granatum L and, secondly, to
assess the dietary intake values and potential health risks
through the consumption of these two fruits.
Materials and Methods
Study Area and Sample Collection
A total of 7 dragon fruits and 7 pomegranate samples of the
same species from each type were collected from the local
market of Dhaka city of Bangladesh in January 2019. The
samples were initially washed by deionized water, and the
peels were removed and cut into the desired size in the clean
dishes. Moreover, the samples were heated separately at 60 °C
in the microwave oven until constant weight. The dried sam-
ples were crushed in a mortar and passed through a 2-mm
nylon sieve. Composite samples of dragon fruit and pome-
granate were prepared by homogeneously mixing each type
of samples together for elemental analysis. Samples were kept
frozen in labeled plastic bags in the laboratory until analysis.
Three replicate samples from each fruit were analyzed in this
study to get elemental concentration.
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
The sample analysis procedure by neutron activation analysis
(NAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) is exactly
same as by Rahman et al. [19]. However, a brief description is
given here. About 200 mg of each dried powder sample and
standard reference materials (SRM) was used to determine the
element concentration by instrumental neutron activation
analysis (INAA). In this study, there were two SRMs, SRM-
1547 (peach leaves) and SRM-1515 (apple leaves), and one
certified reference material IAEA-336 (Lichen powder),
which were analyzed with the fruit samples. For relative stan-
dardization approach of INAA, IAEA-336 was used as the
standard, while SRM-1547 and SRM-1515 were used as the
control samples [20]. The samples and standards were irradi-
ated using pneumatic transfer (rabbit) system of 3 MW
Rahman et al.
TRIGA MARK-II research reactor (neutron flux of 1.70 ×
1013 cm−2 s−1) of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission
(BAEC). The activities of the irradiated samples and standards
were measured using a high-resolution HPGe detector (reso-
lution of FWHM is 1.88 keV at 1332.5 keV of 60Co) coupled
with a digital gamma spectrometry system. For processing of
the gamma-ray spectra and spectra analysis, Genie 2000 and
Hypermet PC 5.12, respectively, softwares were used.
Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
In the spectrometry analysis, the chemical reagents were an
analytical grade (E. Merck, Germany) and the double deion-
ized water also used for the preparation of all solutions. The
standard solutions for calibrations of each element were pre-
pared by diluting stock solutions of 1000 mg/l. One gram of
each fruit and standard materials (SRM-1547 and SRM-1515)
were placed in digested Teflon vessels with 10 ml of 65%
HNO3 (Kanto Chemical Corp., Tokyo, Japan) and 2 ml of
30% H2O2 (Kanto Chemical Corp., Tokyo, Japan) in a micro-
wave digestion system [21]. After digestion, the sample solu-
tions were filtered by Whatman No. 42 filter papers and ac-
customed to a desired volume with double deionized water.
The samples were analyzed for Cu and Ni by a flame atomic
absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and for Pb and Cd using a
graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS).
Mercury concentrations were measured by cold vapor atomic
absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). In this study, performance
of the instrument and quality of the data were checked by
using replicate samples, spiked samples, and method blanks.
The spike recoveries were from 85 to 99%.
Quality Control and Quality Assurance
The quality control of the analyses was checked by analyzing
SRM-1547 and SRM-1515 in this investigation. The Z score
was defined as [19]:
X lab−X ref
Z−score ¼
σref
where, Xlab, Xref, and σref are the laboratory result, the refer-
ence value, and uncertainty with the reference value, respec-
tively. The laboratory performance is evaluated as satisfactory
if |Z| score ≤ 2, questionable for 2 < |Z| score < 3, and unsatis-
factory for |Z| score ≥ 3 [19].
Accuracy and precision of the reported data by replicate
analyses (n = 3) of SRM-1547 and SRM-1515 by INAA and
AAS are presented in Table S1 (Supplementary data). The
analytical results of the elements in reference materials indi-
cate laboratory performance as satisfactory based on Z score
values.
Assessment of Essential and Potentially Toxic Elements and Possible Health Risks in Hylocereus undatus...
Estimated Daily Intake of Chemical Elements
The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of chemical elements (Cd,
Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) for children and adults were
calculated in the following equation [19]:
MC  CF  FIR
EDI ¼
BW  1000
where, MC is average concentration in metals in the samples
(mg/kg), CF represents the conversion factor (0.208), FIR is
daily food ingestion rate (g/person/day), and BW is the aver-
age body weight (adult = 60 kg and children = 16 kg), respec-
tively. To calculate the EDI values, the food ingestion rate
(g/person/day) were found from the report of the household
income and expenditure survey 2010 [22] for Bangladeshi
population as 50.59 (for adults) and 25.33 (for children) in
fruits samples, respectively.
Target Hazard Quotient
The target hazard quotient (THQ) values were calculated by
the following equation:
EDI
THQ ¼
RfD
Here, the oral reference doses (RfD) are 0.003, 1.5, 0.0035,
0.04, 0.14, and 0.3 mg/kg/day for Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Zn,
respectively [23]. The THQ plays a vital role in identifying the
non-carcinogenic health risks.
Target Carcinogenic Risk
Target carcinogenic risk (TCR) values were also calculated by
the following equation:
TCR ¼ CSF1  EDI
where, CSF1 and EDI are the carcinogenic slop factor and
estimated daily intake of elements in the body, respectively.
The slop factors of Cr, Cd, and Pb were 0.41, 6.1, and 8.5 ×
10−3 (mg/kg/day)−1 [23].
Results and Discussion
Concentration of Essential Elements in the Fruits
The concentrations of fifteen chemical elements (Al, Br, Ca,
Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in
P. granatum L. and H. undatus L. were determined and given
in Table 1. Moreover, the determined elemental concentra-
tions in pomegranate and dragon fruits are compared with
available WHO/FAO standard values. The obtained mean
concentrations of essential elements in pomegranate and drag-
on fruits are in a descending order of K > Na > Ca > Fe > Zn >
Al > Mn > Cu and K > Ca > Na > Fe > Zn > Al > Mn > Cu,
respectively. In this study, the concentrations of Ca in pome-
granate and dragon fruit are 3390 and 2390 mg/kg, respective-
ly (Table 1). Calcium is an important element to prevent bone
loss and essential for teeth and bones formation. Additionally,
high level of Ca is needed for women (1000 mg/day, when age
is > 18 years; 1300 mg/day, when age range is 14–18 years)
during the period of pregnancy [25]. It is observed that K
contents in the studied pomegranate and dragon fruits are
6250 and 6600 mg/kg. The minimum required average dietary
intake of K is 2300 mg/day for adult women and 3100 mg/day
for adult men [26]. Therefore, from this investigation, it is
observed that K contents were found higher than the intake
values. The K is an important element to prevent the stroke
and coronary heart disease as well as reduction of hyperten-
sion and diabetes in the human body [27]. Therefore, the stud-
ied fruits can be a good source of K for human body. The Na is
also an important element to maintain the physiological pro-
cess and function of various organs in the body [28, 29]. The
Na contents in the pomegranate and dragon fruits are 2550
and 3270 mg/kg (Table 1). Therefore, according to this study,
studied two fruits can be considered as a vital source of Na, K,
and Ca.
In this study, Cu concentrations in pomegranate and dragon
fruits were found to be 3.17 mg/kg and < 0.60 mg/kg, but
according to WHO/FAO, the acceptable limit of Cu concen-
tration is 4.5 mg/kg for fruit samples [24]. According to the
result of this study, the concentrations of Cu in pomegranate
and dragon fruit do not exceed the acceptable level. The Fe is
one of the essential mineral and it is used for blood production,
body growth, development, and DNA synthesis [30]. The Fe
concentrations in pomegranate and dragon fruits were found
to be 201 mg/kg and 134 mg/kg (Table 1). From previous
studies, Fe concentrations in Pakistani dried fruits were found
in the range of 19.0–45.0 mg/kg [31] and 3.89–40.7 mg/kg
[30]. Therefore, pomegranate and dragon fruits are a rich
source of Fe. Zinc is also considered as a vital element for
growth and development in plant and human body [32]. In this
study, Zn concentrations in pomegranate and dragon fruits
were found to be 79 mg/kg and 57 mg/kg, respectively
(Table 1). From the previous study, the range of Zn concen-
trations in Bangladeshi fruits was 0.235–1.19 mg/kg [1].
According to the result of this study, pomegranate and dragon
fruits are also considered as major source of Zn.
Concentration of Toxic Elements in the Fruits
The concentrations of six toxic chemical elementals (Br, Cd,
Cr, Hg, Ni, and Pb) are determined and presented in Table 1.
The determined mean concentrations of toxic chemical ele-
ments were found in pomegranate and dragon fruits are in
 Rahman et al.

Table 1 Mean values (n = 3) of

chemical elements mass fractions Elements (mg/kg) Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) WHO/FAO
(mg/kg on dry mass basis) values [24]
determined in dragon fruits and
pomegranate by the INAA and Al 60.5 ± 1.1 44.3 ± 1.0
AAS techniques Br 37.5 ± 0.6 15.0 ± 0.3
Ca 3390 ± 108 2390 ± 97
Cd 0.060 ± 0.005 < 0.050 0.05
Cl 6060 ± 167 8610 ± 236
Cr 0.10 ± 0.03 0.88 ± 0.04 1.0
Cu 3.17 ± 0.60 < 0.60 4.5
Fe 201 ± 26 134 ± 20
Hg < 0.020 < 0.020
K 6250 ± 196 6600 ± 203
Mn 14.2 ± 0.2 2.73 ± 0.07
Na 2550 ± 116 3270 ± 148
Ni < 0.80 < 0.80 0.8
Pb 2.55 ± 0.60 1.85 ± 0.60 0.1
Zn 79.0 ± 5.0 57.0 ± 4.0

n number of samples analysis

Uncertainties are standard deviation (1σ) for n = 3

descending order of Br > Pb > Cr > Cd and Br > Pb > Cr > Cd,
respectively. The concentrations of the toxic elements Ni and
Hg were found below the detection limit in the samples. Toxic
elements are harmful because of their toxicity, non-
biodegradable nature, and long biological half-life, as well
as their negative effects on sensitive organs of human body
like heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and nervous systems
[19, 33]. In this study, the concentrations of Cd, Br, and Cr
in pomegranate were 0.060 mg/kg, 37.5 mg/kg, and
0.10 mg/kg, respectively, whereas in dragon fruits, the con-
centrations were < 0.050 mg/kg, 15.0 mg/kg, and 0.88 mg/kg,
respectively (Table 1). According to WHO/FAO, the maxi-
mum tolerable limit of Cd is 0.05 mg/ kg [24]; therefore, the
obtained result was found slightly higher than the tolerable
limit in pomegranate. However, Cd levels were found below
the tolerable limit in dragon fruit samples. Bromine is also
considered as a toxic element and excess Br may cause brain
damage [34]. Similarly, Cr levels were assessed within the
safe limit of WHO/FAO values [24]. From the literature
values, the range of concentrations (mg/kg) in Bangladeshi
fruits was found as Cd 0.010–0.030, Cr 0.17–2.1 [35]; Cd
0.16–0.58, Cr 1.2–1.4 [36]; and Cd 0.583–3.023, Cr 0.513–
2.502 [37]. The Pb concentrations were detected as 2.55 mg/kg
in pomegranate and 1.85 in dragon fruit (Table 1) but the
maximum tolerable limit is 0.1 mg/kg [24]. Therefore, Pb
concentrations in the studied pomegranate and dragon fruit
samples are higher than the maximum tolerable limit.
Comparison of our Data with Literature Values
The elemental concentrations obtained from this study are
compared with available published literature data from differ-
ent countries (Turkey, Iran, and China) and presented in
Table 2. There is no, so far, available elemental concentration
data of dragon fruits so that only pomegranate data are com-
pared with published literature values in this study. From the
previous study, Na concentrations in pomegranate were found
591.5 mg/kg and 96 mg/kg in Turkey samples, whereas in

Table 2 Comparison of chemical elements (mg/kg) our data with literature data (pomegranate)

Na K Fe Ca Mn Mg Zn Cu Pb Cd Ni References

3270 6600 134 2390 2.73 – 57.0 < 0.60 1.85 < 0.050 < 0.80 This study (dragon)
2550 6253 201 3392 14.2 – 79 3.17 2.55 0.06 < 0.80 This study (pomegranate)
591.5 1650 20.3 – ND 41.6 4.58 2.26 0.16 ND – Turkey samples [38]
– – 14.5 – 6.0 – 11.7 8.0 – – – Iran samples [13]
96 1283 1.81 108 0.96 67.2 0.04 0.10 0.003 ND 0.04 Turkey samples [39]
– – 489 – 277 – 1511 85.9 – – – China samples [40]

ND not detected
Assessment of Essential and Potentially Toxic Elements and Possible Health Risks in Hylocereus undatus...

Bangladeshi pomegranate samples, concentrations were
2550 mg/kg. Similarly, K concentrations were found about
four and five times higher in Bangladeshi samples compared
with those of Turkey samples (Table 2). The Fe concentrations
of China samples (489 mg/kg) were found twenty-four times
higher than those of Turkey samples (20.3 mg/kg) and thirty-
four times higher than those of Iran samples (14.5 mg/kg), but
in Bangladeshi samples, it was 201 mg/kg. The Ca concentra-
tions of Bangladeshi samples were found more than thirty
times higher than those of Turkey samples. The Mn concen-
trations in pomegranate were found significantly higher in
China samples when compared with Bangladesh, Turkey,
and Iran samples. Moreover, the Zn concentrations of China
samples were found a hundred times higher than those of
Turkey and Iran samples but more than nineteen times higher
than those of Bangladeshi samples. The Pb concentrations of
Bangladeshi samples (2.55 mg/kg) were found about sixteen
times higher than those of Turkey samples (0.16 mg/kg).
Previous studies on Bangladeshi fruit samples have shown
that the average Pb concentration in fruits are 0.969 mg/kg
[37], 0.003–0.642 mg/kg [1], and 0.74 mg/kg [35]. Therefore,
Pb concentrations obtained in the studied fruits are higher than
the previous Pb concentrations in Bangladeshi fruits. The Cd
concentration was not detected (ND) in Turkey samples but
0.06 mg/kg were found in Bangladeshi samples which is
slightly higher concentration than the WHO/FAO limit [24].
Health Risk Assessments
Estimated Dietary Intake Values
The EDI values of pomegranate and dragon fruit samples
were calculated and presented in Table 3. The overall EDI
(mg/kg-bw/day) values of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn in
pomegranate samples were found in the range of 1.1 × 10−5 to
2.5 × 10−3 for adults and 2.0 × 10−5 to 4.7 × 10−3 for children,
respectively. Similarly, EDI values of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb,
and Zn in dragon fruit samples were found in the range of
1.5 × 10−4 to 10 × 10−4 for adults and 1.9 × 10−4 to 9.0 ×
10−4 for children, respectively (Table 3). In this investigation,
the decreasing orders of the elements based on dietary intake
via pomegranate consumption are Cd < Cr < Zn < Fe < Pb <
Cu < Mn for both adult and children are in the same level.
Similarly, for the dragon fruit orders of the chemical elements
are Cr < Fe < Pb < Mn < Zn for adult and Zn < Cr < Fe < Pb <
Mn for children. The maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI)
of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn are 0.021, 0.2, 30, 2.0–5.0,
0.21, and 60, respectively [1, 35]. In this study, the EDI values
for pomegranate and dragon fruit were found less than MTDI
values.
Target Hazard Quotient Values
From this study, the total target hazard quotient (TTHQ)
values of pomegranate samples were found 1.65 × 10−1 for
adult and 3.06 × 10−1 for children, whereas for dragon sam-
ples 9.76 × 10−2 for adult and 1.82 × 10−1 for children as given
in Table 4. If the values of THQ were found less than 1.0, it
indicates that no non-carcinogenic risk to consume these fruits
[35, 37]. From this study, it is clear that the calculated target
hazard quotient values were found lower than the risk levels.
Target Carcinogenic Risk Values
In this study, calculated TCR values for the elements Cd, Cr,
and Pb in pomegranate and dragon fruit samples are given in
Table 4. The overall range of TCR values of pomegranate for
the elements was 7.38 × 10−6 to 6.71 × 10−5 for adult and
7.14 × 10−6 to 1.22 × 10−4 for children, whereas for dragon
fruit samples 2.75 × 10−6 to 6.15 × 10−5 for adult and 5.18 ×
10−6 to 1.19 × 10−4 for children. From the literature study, the
values of TCR above 1.0 × 10−4 indicate carcinogenic risk to
consume the fruits [1, 19]. From this study, it is observed that
the TCR values of Cd (1.22 × 10−4) in pomegranate samples
and Cr (1.19 × 10−4) in dragon fruit samples are higher than
1.0 × 10−4 for children. From the previous study, Cd and Cr
concentrations were found higher in the Bangladeshi fruits
and vegetables due to some major reasons such as excess

Table 3 Comparison of the

estimated daily intake (EDI, Elements Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) MTDI values
mg/kg-bw/day) of the elements [1, 35]
from highly consumed fruits with Adult Child Adult Child
the corresponding maximum
tolerable daily intake (MTDI) in Cd 1.1 × 10−5 2.0 × 10−5 – – 0.021
the Bangladeshi population Cr 1.8 × 10−5 3.3 × 10−5 1.5 × 10−4 2.9 × 10−4 0.2
Cu 5.6 × 10−4 1.0 × 10−3 – – 30
Fe 3.5 × 10−4 6.6 × 10−4 2.3 × 10−4 4.4 × 10−4 –
Mn 2.5 × 10−3 4.7 × 10−3 4.8 × 10−4 9.0 × 10−4 2–5
Pb 4.5 × 10−4 8.4 × 10−4 3.24 × 10−4 6.1 × 10−4 0.21
Zn 1.4 × 10−4 2.6 × 10−4 10.0 × 10−4 1.9 × 10−4 60

MTDI maximum tolerable daily intake

 Rahman et al.

Table 4 Target hazard quotient (THQ) and target carcinogenic risk (TCR) values of the elements for consuming pomegranate and dragon fruit

Target hazard quotient (THQ) Target carcinogenic risk (TCR)

Elements (mg/kg) Pomegranate Dragon fruit Pomegranate Dragon fruit

Adult Children Adult Children Adult Children Adult Children

Cd 3.67 × 10−3 6.67 × 10−3 – – 6.71 × 10−5 1.22 × 10−4 – –

Cr 1.20 × 10−5 2.20 × 10−5 1.0 × 10−4 1.93 × 10−4 7.38 × 10−6 1.35 × 10−5 6.15 × 10−5 1.19 × 10−4
Pb 1.29 × 10−1 2.40 × 10−1 9.26 × 10−2 1.74 × 10−1 3.82 × 10−5 7.14 × 10−6 2.75 × 10−6 5.18 × 10−6
Cu 1.40 × 10−2 2.50 × 10−2 – –
Mn 1.79 × 10−2 3.36 × 10−2 1.64 × 10−3 6.43 × 10−3
Zn 4.67 × 10−4 8.67 × 10−4 3.33 × 10−3 6.33 × 10−4
Total 1.65 × 10−1 3.06 × 10−1 9.76 × 10−2 1.82 × 10−1

use of agricultural pesticides, water, air and industrial pollu- References

tions, and soil contaminations [41, 42]. Therefore, it is the
right time to create public awareness among the people world-
wide about metal contaminations otherwise children may suf-
fer from many serious diseases.
Conclusions
In this research, concentrations of 15 chemical elements
(Al, Br, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb,
and Zn) were determined by using INAA and AAS
techniques in two types of fruits (dragon and pomegran-
ate). The Pb concentrations were higher in both fruits
but Cd concentrations were slightly higher than WHO/
FAO tolerable levels in pomegranate. However, this
study indicates that estimated daily intake (EDI) values
compared with MTDI and target hazard quotient (THQ)
values were within the safe levels. On the other hand,
calculated TCR values of Cd for pomegranate and Cr
for dragon fruit were higher than the maximum limit
(1.0 × 10−4) for children. Finally, this study reveals that
dragon and pomegranate fruits are considered as poten-
tial sources of nutritional supplements for human health.
Acknowledgments The authority of Center for Research Reactor (CRR),
BAEC is gratefully acknowledged for neutron irradiation of the samples.
The technical staffs of RNPD, INST, and Environmental Engineering
Laboratory, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST),
Dhaka, Bangladesh, are also gratefully acknowledged for their kind help
during sample preparation and analysis for this study. Two anonymous
reviewers are acknowledged for their constructive comments to improve
quality of the manuscript.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest.
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