Comprehensive Analysis of Heavy Metal Contamination in Daily Consumer Foods from U.S. Market: Health Risk Assessment Using Monte Carlo Simulation

Heavy metal contamination in food products is an increasing concern due to its potential long-term health risks, especially from chronic exposure. This study investigates the contamination levels of ten heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) across 72 fruit, vegetable, and cereal samples from U.S. markets. The samples, after being oven-dried, were ground, homogenized, and digested with acids using the USEPA 3051A method. The acid extracts were filtered, diluted, and will be analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry to measure the concentration of each metal. Statistical analyses will be applied to assess significant variations in contamination based on food types and sources. In addition, this study will employ a risk assessment framework to identify the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with these metals. A probabilistic model will be developed using Monte Carlo simulation to estimate risk distributions based on exposure scenarios reflective of typical consumption patterns. The simulation will quantify hazard quotients (HQ) for non-carcinogenic risks and cancer risk (CR) values for carcinogenic metals.