Determination of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) in Ceramic Products: Packaging Safety

Determination of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (CD) in Food Contact Ceramic Products

What are Heavy Metals? What are the Hazards of Heavy Metals? Which Heavy Metals are Analyzed in Ceramic Products?

The density of metals that tend to give electrons is greater than 5 g/cm3 is called “heavy metals”. Heavy metals are important and want to be kept under control due to their negative effects on pollution and human health.

Heavy metal intake into the human body is possible, especially from food or products in contact with food. Prolonged exposure to heavy metals can cause serious health problems and deaths due to their toxic effects.

The point of attention in ceramic materials in contact with food is the migration of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (CD) through migration. For this reason, Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (CD) determination is carried out in ceramic products that may come into contact with food.

What are Lead and Cadmium?

Lead (Pb) is widely used both in nature and in industry and is one of the leading sources of poisoning in humans and animals. Due to its toxic effects, its damages are also great. Cadmium (CD) can enter the body in many ways. It can cause kidney, bone and lung damage by intoxication.

Due to the damages mentioned above, Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (CD) Determination is analyzed in ceramic products in contact with food. It is an important test parameter.

Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) Determination Method

Application Area

In materials such as ceramic products, porcelain, ceramic plates, pots, cups, the toxic elements lead and cadmium can migrate. Therefore, analysis of such materials is mandatory.

The European Union and other national regulations have set limits for lead and cadmium in ceramic products. These limits minimize the risk of toxic elements migrating into food.

Test Procedure:

• Sample Preparation: The ceramic product to be analyzed is ground to a certain size and homogenized. This makes the sample easier to handle in the laboratory.

• Acid Solution Preparation: The sample is dissolved in acid solution. This dissolution dissolves metal ions such as lead and cadmium, allowing them to be analyzed.
• Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS): The most widely used method of analysis for lead and cadmium quantification. AAS measures the light absorption of metal ions in a sample at a specific wavelength. This determines the amount of metals accurately and precisely.
• Induction Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES): ICP-AES ionizes metal ions in the sample and analyzes the emission spectrum of these ions. This is a method that can detect metals even at very low levels.
• National and International Standards: There are international standards and regulations for the determination of lead and cadmium in ceramic products. The European Union sets specific limits on these products to minimize the risk of toxic elements migrating into food.
• Specific Migration Limits (SML): The European Union has limited the amounts of lead and cadmium that can migrate from materials that come into direct contact with food. These limits control the risk of migration of toxic elements from ceramics into food.

Relevant Legal and Regulatory Requirements

Lead and cadmium limits in ceramic products: European Union regulations set limits of 2.5 mg/kg for lead and 0.1 mg/kg for cadmium in ceramic products.

Food Safety: This type of testing ensures food safety to prevent toxic elements from migrating into food. The amount of lead and cadmium in ceramic products must be kept below certain limits.

Nanolab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) Determination. We also provide services in Packaging Analysis.

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