Determination of lead and cadmium in commercial instant coffee and potential health risk / Nurul Afika Erizal

This study was carried out to determine the lead and cadmium in commercial instant
coffee at Klang district. The result for this study will be used to estimate the potential health
risk to the consumer. The sample size is 30 (n=30) consist of 15 sachet of man coffee
product and 15 sachet of women coffee product. It is a cross sectional study. The sampling
collection is by purchasing the commercial instant coffee at the retail shop and night market.
The sample has to be prepare by acid digestion method by adding the Nitric acid and
Hydrochloric acid. Next, the sample will be analysing by Graphite Furnace Atomic
Absorption Spectroscopy (GFAAS) to detect the lead and cadmium. There is a concentration
of lead and cadmium in coffee products. According to the mean concentration of lead in
commercial instant coffee which is 1.3210 mg/kg, it is still below the maximum permitted
proportion by Food Act 1983 and Food Regulation 1985. While, the mean concentration of
Cadmium in commercial instant coffee which is 2.5886 mg/kg, it is exceeding the maximum
permitted proportion by Food Act 1983 and Food Regulation 1985. For mean concentration
comparison between man coffee product and women coffee product, Mann-whitney test
identified that both P-value more than 0.005.It indicates that there is no significant difference
of heavy metal concentration between man and woman coffee product. The potential health
risk has been identified by calculating the Hazard Index (HI). The result is below < 1 which
mean there are no adverse human health effects are expected to occur. Even the mean
concentration of lead is below the permissible limit, it is still shows that there is a coffee
product that is contain lead as well as cadmium which is proven due to mean concentration
exceed the permissible limit. Authorities should take immediate action and the consumer
should more careful before choosing a coffee product.