Concentrations of selected metals (NA, K, CA, MG, FE, CU, ZN, AL, NI, PB, CD) in coffee
Article Category: Original scientific article
Published Online: Oct 01, 2019
Page range: 187 - 193
Received: Mar 03, 2019
Accepted: Aug 26, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2019-0024
Keywords
© 2019 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Introduction
The health benefits and detrimental effects of coffee consumption may be linked to chemical compounds contained in coffee beans. The aim of our study was to evaluate the concentration of sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in green and roasted samples of coffee beans purchased in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to determine the potential health implications at current consumption level.
Methods
The concentrations were determined using a microwave high-pressure mineralization and atomic absorption spectrometer that measures total metal (ionic and non-ionic) content.
Results
The average metal concentrations (μg element/g coffee) in the green coffee beans were; Na: 18.6, K: 19898, Ca: 789, Mg: 1758, Fe: 60, Cu: 14, Zn: 3.6, Al: 4.2, Ni: 0.415, Pb: 0.076, and Cd: 0.015, while, in the roasted; Na: 23, K: 23817, Ca: 869, Mg: 1992, Fe: 41.1, Cu: 11.4, Zn: 5.41, Al: 4.19, Ni: 0.88, Pb: 0.0169, and Cd: 0.0140.
Conclusion
The level of investigated metals at the present level of consumption of coffee in Bosnia falls within the limits recommended as safe for health.