Scientists from St. Petersburg University have developed a new method for determining the presence of heavy metals in meat. They proposed using environmentally friendly solvents for this purpose.
The material about the development by Russian scientists was published in the Microchemical Journal. Heavy metals are extremely harmful toxic substances for human health. These include lead and mercury, for example. The accumulation of heavy metals in the body leads to a decrease in immunity, anorexia, and even cancer.
Heavy metals enter the body through food. They can be found in meat, fish, as well as in vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and some dairy products. This is a significant problem for public health, the scientists noted.
They reported that currently, methods for determining heavy metals in food products involve the use of microwave radiation and concentrated acids. This requires significant time and energy costs. Moreover, toxic gases are released into the atmosphere, which are harmful to humans and the environment.
Russian scientists proposed using solvents based on organic compounds for this purpose. They are widely used in agriculture and food production. These can be lactic, apple, or citric acid. During experiments, the high efficiency of the new method for determining heavy metals was demonstrated.
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