Heavy metals in lentils, chickpeas and peas from Ethiopia
What it found
Lentils, chickpeas and peas from Belesa districts in Ethiopia contained copper, iron, manganese, zinc and nickel.
The authors say the combined levels of these metals suggest a need to reduce how much people take in.
What they found
Metals in lentils
In lentil samples, copper ranged from 39.8 to 80.5 mg/kg, iron from 116.1 to 180.5 mg/kg, manganese from 12.1 to 21.6 mg/kg, zinc from 36.4 to 57.2 mg/kg and nickel from 25.4 to 34.1 mg/kg.
Metals in chickpeas
In chickpea samples, copper ranged from 23.6 to 48 mg/kg, iron from 67.7 to 132.3 mg/kg, manganese from 15 to 26.5 mg/kg, zinc from 37.6 to 68.2 mg/kg and nickel from 25.5 to 33.3 mg/kg.
Metals in peas
In pea samples, copper ranged from 32 to 64.2 mg/kg, iron from 51.6 to 100.0 mg/kg, manganese from 6.3 to 15 mg/kg, zinc from 25.3 to 42.5 mg/kg and nickel from 25.5 to 48.5 mg/kg.
Metal links in lentils
Copper and zinc moved together strongly in lentils.
Metal links in peas
Nickel and manganese moved together strongly in peas, and iron moved together strongly with copper and manganese.
Risk measure
For nickel in all samples, and for copper in lentil and pea, the target hazard quotient was 1 or higher. The combined hazard index for all the heavy metals was greater than 1.
What the authors conclude
- They say an appropriate strategy is required to reduce exposure to heavy metals.
How it was done
Heavy metals building up in food is a major worry for people's health. The authors wanted to measure these metals in three legume crops and work out the health risk for people who eat them.
They measured the levels of copper, iron, manganese, nickel and zinc in samples of chickpea, lentil and pea from Belesa districts, Ethiopia. They then used these levels to assess the health risk for consumers.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study measured metals in crop samples, not in people. It cannot show what health effects, if any, these levels cause in people who eat the legumes.
- The risk measures are based on the metal levels found in these samples and standard assumptions. They do not track actual health outcomes in consumers.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Gondar, Ethiopia; Arba Minch University, Ethiopia
The paper
- Title
- Metal distribution and human health risk assessment in legumes crops (chickpea, lentils and peas) from Belesa districts, Ethiopia
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Muche F, Ezez D, Guadie A, Tefera M (2024). Metal distribution and human health risk assessment in legumes crops (chickpea, lentils and peas) from Belesa districts, Ethiopia. International journal of environmental health research. doi:10.1080/09603123.2023.2229771PubMed 37364006DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error