The Influence of Baking Fuel Types on the Residues of Some Heavy Metals in Jordanian Bread

The influence of different kinds of baking fuel on the residues of some heavy metals inJordanian bread was investigated. An inductively coupled plasma-optical emission pectrometry (ICP-OES)-technique was used to determine the residues of lead, nickel, cadmium, and copper in bread samples obtained from the city of Irbid in Jordan. The samples which were from heavy oil, light oil (diesel), and electricity operated bakeries showed different levels of heavy metal residues. The bread from the electricity operated bakeries shows the lowest levels of contaminations. The average levels of residues of lead, nickel, cadmium, and copper in the bread from the electricity operated bakeries were 264.2 ± 14.9 μg/kg, 16.21 ± 2.4 μg/kg, 10.2 ± 1.6 μg/kg, and 5.3 ± 0.8 mg/kg, respectively. It was noticed that the average of lead residue in heavy oil operated bakeries is higher than that recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), while cadmium was found to be less than the recommended level.