Determinación de metales pesados en suelos de cultivo y en granos de plantaciones de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) pertenecientes a la zona litoral central del Ecuador

Abstract

Heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As) are dangerous to the environment and human health. Recent research has concluded that they are related to health risks caused by the ingestion of contaminated food. This study uses a general approach to determine the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Ni, and As in the cultivated soil and in cocoa beans, which grow in a cocoa plantation in Montalvo - Los Ríos. The main purpose of this study is to determine if the concentrations of heavy metal exceed the maximum permissible limits (MPL) established by environmental standards and international legislation for cocoa and its derivatives. As a result, As and Cd present in the cultivated soil exceeded the MPL of 19 and 0.5 milligrams per kilogram respectively, with mean concentrations of 13.80 milligrams per kilogram of As and 0.69 milligrams per kilogram of Cd. As, Ni and Cd present in cocoa beans exceeded the MPL of 0.5, 1 and 0.1 to 0.8 milligrams per kilogram respectively, with mean concentrations of 3.67 milligrams per kilogram of As, 3.21 milligrams per kilogram of Ni and 1.48 milligrams per kilogram of Cd. Overall, it is necessary to develop successful remediation techniques in the cultivated soil, meanwhile, in cocoa beans, these metals should be considered by public health authorities in the intake of products derived from cocoa.