Heavy Metal Lead in Filipino Staple Food as Studied in Metro Manila, Philippines

Rice and fish are the staple food for Filipinos. The global environmental condition has continually been deteriorating. Metro Manila, Philippines showed heavy metal contaminations in air, water, plants and soil which could pollute rice and fish. Lead is hard to biodegrade hence may accumulate in the biologic system leading to neurologic deficits particularly among children. From the results obtained using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS), all rice varieties and fish samples showed the presence of lead. Only regular Malagkit and NFA rice went above while all kinds and parts of fish went beyond the allowable limit for lead in food. The projected blood levels also went beyond the safe limit of lead in relation to fish consumption in both children and adults. However, in relation to rice consumption all of the projected blood lead exceeded the allowed limit only among children. The projected blood lead in adults exceeded the safe limit with rice consumption of only four varieties.