Bibliometric analysis on carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment of heavy metals from cereal products

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination of food is a critical global health issue due to its toxic, bioaccumulative, and often carcinogenic effects. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research published between 2000 and 2024 on health risk assessments associated with heavy metal exposure through the consumption of cereal products. Data were extracted from the Web of Science database and analyzed using VOSviewer software to visualize trends in terms of authors, institutional and international collaboration, and areas of thematic interest. The findings reveal a growing scientific interest in this field, with a peak in publication volume in 2020. China emerged as the main contributor, accounting for almost half of all publications, followed by Iran, Spain, and Brazil. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were among the most active institutions. Journals such as Environmental Science and Pollution Research and Science of the Total Environment were identified as key publication platforms. The collaborative analysis highlights China and the USA as major centres of international collaboration, with peripheral but active contributions from countries such as England, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. Most studies focused on exposure pathways and assessed both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks, frequently reporting values above safe thresholds. These findings highlight the urgent need for national long-term monitoring programmes and the development of country-specific strategies to reduce exposure to heavy metals in food, thereby enhancing public health protection and regulatory compliance.

Keywords

Bibliometrics / cereals / risk assessment / potentially toxic elements / VOSviewer / Web of Science

References

[1] Islam MS, Ahmed MK, Habibullah—Al—Mamun M. Heavy metals in cereals and pulses: health implications in Bangladesh. J Agric Food Chem. 2014; 62: 10828—35.

[2] Tegegne WA. Assessment of some heavy metals concentration in selected cereals collected from local markets of Ambo City, Ethiopia. J Cereals Oilseeds. 2015; 6: 8-13.

[3] Slepecka K, Kalwa K, Wyrostek J, Pankiewicz U. Evaluation of cadmium, lead, zinc and copper levels in selected ecological cereal food products and their non—ecological counterparts. Curr Issues Pharm Med. 2017; 30: 147-50.

[4] Adam A, Sackey LNA, Ofori LA. Risk assessment of heavy metals concentration in cereals and legumes sold in the Tamale Aboabo market, Ghana. Heliyon. 2022; 8: e10162.

[5] Custodio M, Penaloza R, Orrelana E, Aguilar—Caceres MA, Maldonado—Ore EM. Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Soil and Cereal Grains and Potential Human Risk in the Central Region of Peru. J Ecol Eng. 2021; 22: 206-20.

[6] Pirsaheb M, Hadei M, Sharafi K. Human health risk assessment by Monte Carlo simulation method for heavy metals of commonly consumed cereals in Iran—Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. J Food Compost Anal. 2021; 96: 103697.

[7] Getu A, Seid Y, Asrade B. Determination of the Level of Heavy Metals in the Selected Cereals from Debre Markos Local Market, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Int J Anal Chem. 2022; 2022: 7146439.

[8] Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs [Internet]. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); c1965—2025 [cited 2025 Apr 1]. Available from: https://monographs.iarc.who.int/agents—classified—by—the—iarc/

[9] Briffa J, Sinagra E, Blundell R. Heavy metal pollution in the environment and their toxicological effects on humans. Heliyon. 2020; 6: e04691.

[10] Li N, Han R, Lu X. Bibliometric analysis of research trends on solid waste reuse and recycling during 1992—2016. Resour Conserv Recycl. 2018; 130: 109-17.

[11] Han R, Zhou B, Huang Y, Lu X, Li S, Li N. Bibliometric overview of research trends on heavy metal health risks and impacts in 1989—2018. J Clean Prod. 2020; 276: 123249.

[12] Mao N, Wang MH, Ho YS. A Bibliometric Study of the Trend in Articles Related to Risk Assessment Published in Science Citation Index . Hum Ecol Risk Assess. 2010; 16: 801-24.

[13] Bergman NP, Bergquist J, Hedeland M, Palmblad M. Text Mining and Computational Chemistry Reveal Trends in Applications of Laser Desorption/Ionization Techniques to Small Molecules. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2024; 35: 2507—15.

[14] Basmaci A, Akarsu C, Sivri N. Heavy metals: bibliometric mapping, environmental risk assessment, policies and future needs. Int J Environ Sci Technol. 2023; 20: 5715—32.

[15] Niknejad N, Nazari B, Foroutani S, Hussin ARBC. A bibliometric analysis of green technologies applied to water and wastewater treatment. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023; 30: 71849-63.

[16] Ghanati K, Zayeri F, Hosseini H. Potential Health Risk Assessment of Different Heavy Metals in Wheat Products. Iran J Pharm Res. 2019; 18: 2093-100.

[17] Huang SS, Liao QL, Hua M, Wu XM, Bi KS, Yan CY, et al. Survey of heavy metal pollution and assessment of agricultural soil in Yangzhong district, Jiangsu Province, China. Chemosphere. 2007; 67: 2148—55.

[18] Page V, Feller U. Heavy Metals in Crop Plants: Transport and Redistribution Processes on the Whole Plant Level. Agronomy. 2015; 5: 447-63.

[19] Zang F, Wang S, Nan Z, Ma J, Zhang Q, Chen Y, et al. Accumulation, spatio—temporal distribution, and risk assessment of heavy metals in the soil—corn system around a polymetallic mining area from the Loess Plateau, northwest China. Geoderma. 2017; 305: 188-96.

[20] Biswas A, Swain S, Chowdhury NR, Joardar M, Das A, Mukherjee M, et al. Arsenic contamination in Kolkata metropolitan city: perspective of transportation of agricultural products from arsenic—endemic areas. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019; 26: 22929—44.

[21] Tang J, Huang Z, Pan X. Exposure assessment of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, and Pb) by the intake of local foods from Zhejiang, China. Environ Geochem Health. 2014; 36: 765—71.

[22] Wei J, Cen K. Contamination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in cereals, legumes, and their products: A case study based on the dietary structure of the residents of Beijing, China. J Clean Prod. 2020; 260: 121001.

[23] Cao Z, Mou R, Cao Z, Lin X, Xu P, Chen Z, et al. Nickel in milled rice (Oryza sativa L.) from the three main rice—producing regions in China . Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill. 2017; 10: 69-77.

[24] Babaahmadifooladi M, Jacxsens L, De Meulenaer B, Du Laing G. Nickel in foods sampled on the Belgian market: identification of potential contamination sources. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2020; 37: 607—21.

[25] Xiao G, Liu Y, Dong KF, Lu J. Regional characteristics of cadmium intake in adult residents from the 4th and 5th Chinese Total Diet Study. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020; 27: 3850—7.

[26] Malissiova E, Soultani G, Kogia P, Koureas M, Hadjichristodoulou C. Analysis of 20 year data for the assessment of dietary exposure to chemical contaminants in the region of Thessaly, Greece. Food Control. 2022; 136: 108838.

[27] Bielecka J, Markiewicz—Żukowska R, Puścion—Jakubik A, Grabia M, Nowakowski P, Soroczyńska J, et al. Gluten—Free Cereals and Pseudocereals as a Potential Source of Exposure to Toxic Elements among Polish Residents. Nutrients. 2022; 14: 2342.

[28] Pirsaheb M, Fattahi N, Sharafi K, Khamotian R, Atafar Z. Essential and toxic heavy metals in cereals and agricultural products marketed in Kermanshah, Iran, and human health risk assessment. Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill. 2016; 9: 15-20.

[29] Tinggi U, Schoendorfer N. Analysis of lead and cadmium in cereal products and duplicate diets of a small group of selected Brisbane children for estimation of daily metal exposure. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2018; 50: 671—5.

[30] Koch W, Czop M, Iłowiecka K, Nawrocka A, Wiącek D. Dietary Intake of Toxic Heavy Metals with Major Groups of Food Products—Results of Analytical Determinations. Nutrients. 2022; 14: 1626.

[31] Roman—Ochoa Y, Delgado GTC, Tejada TR, Yucra HR, Durand AE, Hamaker BR. Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in grains and grain—based processed food in Arequipa region of Peru. Chemosphere. 2021; 274: 129792.

[32] Gonzalez N, Calderón J, Rúbies A, Bosch J, Timoner I, Castell V, et al. Dietary exposure to total and inorganic arsenic via rice and rice—based products consumption. Food Chem Toxicol. 2020; 141: 111420.

[33] Scimago Journal & Country Rank[Internet]. Scimago Lab; c2007— 2025 [cited 2025 Apr 15]. Available from: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php

[34] Zheng N, Wang Q, Zhang X, Zheng D, Zhang Z, Zhang S. Population health risk due to dietary intake of heavy metals in the industrial area of Huludao City, China. Sci Total Environ. 2007; 387: 96-104.

[35] Adnan M, Xiao B, Ali MU, Xiao P, Zhao P, Wang H, et al. Heavy metals pollution from smelting activities: A threat to soil and groundwater. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2024; 274: 116189.

[36] Li L, Zhang Y, Ippolito JA, Xing W, Qiu K, Yang H. Lead smelting effects heavy metal concentrations in soils, wheat, and potentially humans. Environ Pollut. 2020; 257: 113641.

[37] Song B, Lei M, Chen T, Zheng Y, Xie Y, Li X, et al. Assessing the health risk of heavy metals in vegetables to the general population in Beijing, China. J Environ Sci (China). 2009; 21: 1702—9.

[38] Noor Ul Ain S, Abbasi AM, Ajab H, Faridullah, Khan S, Yaqub A. Assessment of arsenic in Mangifera Indica (Mango) contaminated by artificial ripening agent: Target hazard quotient (THQ), health risk index (HRI) and estimated daily intake (EDI) . Food Chem Adv. 2023; 3: 100468.

[39] Badeenezhad A, Soleimani H, Shahsavani S, Parseh I, Mohammadpour A, Azadbakht O, et al. Comprehensive health risk analysis of heavy metal pollution using water quality indices and Monte Carlo simulation in R software. Sci Rep. 2023; 13: 15817.

[40] Alloway BJ, editor. Heavy Metals in Soils: Trace Metals and Metalloids in Soils and their Bioavailability. Cham: Springer; 2013.

[41] Abtahi M, Fakhri Y, Conti GO, Keramati H, Zandsalimi Y, Bahmani Z, et al. Heavy metals (As, Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni) concentrations in rice (Oryza sativa) from Iran and associated risk assessment: a systematic review . Toxin Rev. 2017; 36: 331-41.

[42] Azeem M, Ali A, Jeyasundar PGSA, Li Y, Abdelrahman H, Latif A, et al. Bone—derived biochar improved soil quality and reduced Cd and Zn phytoavailability in a multi—metal contaminated mining soil. Environ Pollut. 2021; 277: 116800.

[43] Khaneghah AM, Fakhri Y, Nematollahi A, Pirhadi M. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in cereal—based foods: A systematic review and meta—analysis. TFST. 2020; 96: 30-44.

[44] EFSA. Cadmium in food — Scientific opinion of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain. EFSA J. 2009; 7: 980.

[45] Manual for VOSviewer version 1.6.19[Internet]. Univeriteit Leiden [cited 2025 May 2]. Available from: https://www.vosviewer.com/documentation/Manual_VOSviewer_1.6.19.pdf

[46] Sun Y, Shen J, Sun Z, Ma F, Jones KC, Gu Q. A bibliometric analysis and assessment of priorities for heavy metal bioavailability research and risk management in contaminated land. Environ Geochem Health. 2023; 45: 2691-704.

[47] Yang X, Zhao Z, Tan Y, Chen B, Zhou C, Wu A. Risk profiling of exposures to multiclass contaminants through cereals and cereal—based products consumption: A case study for the inhabitants in Shanghai, China. Food Control. 2020; 109: 106964.

[48] Sarlak Z, Rouhi M, Alizadeh AM, Sadeghi E, Hosseini H, Khaneghah AM. Pb exposure from plant foods in Iran: a review. J Environ Anal Chem. 2021; 103: 7395-416.

[49] Zhu Z, Guo W, Cheng H, Zhao H, Wang J, Abdallah MF, et al. Co—contamination and interactions of multiple mycotoxins and heavy metals in rice, maize, soybeans, and wheat flour marketed in Shanghai City. J Hazard Mater. 2024; 474: 134695.

[50] Omeje KO, Ezema BO, Okonkwo F, Onyishi NC, Ozioko J, Rasaq WA, et al. Quantification of Heavy Metals and Pesticide Residues in Widely Consumed Nigerian Food Crops Using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and Gas Chromatography (GC). Toxins (Basel). 2021; 13: 870.

[51] Kumar S, Islam R, Akash PB, Khan MdH, Proshad R, Karmoker J, et al. Lead (Pb) Contamination in Agricultural Products and Human Health Risk Assessment in Bangladesh. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2022; 233: 257.

[52] Islam MS, Bakky AA, Ahmed S, Islam MT, Antu UB, Saikat MSM, et al. Toxicity assessment of heavy metals translocation in maize grown in the Ganges delta floodplain soils around the Payra power plant in Bangladesh. Food Chem Toxicol. 2024; 193: 115005.

[53] Ali H, Khan E, Sajad MA. Phytoremediation of heavy metals——concepts and applications. Chemosphere. 2013; 91: 869—81.

[54] Duan K, Zhang S, Zhao B, Peng X, Yang P, Ma Y. Soil contamination and plant accumulation characteristics of toxic metals and metalloid in farmland soil—food crop system in Qilihe, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021; 28: 50063-73.

[55] Rai PK, Lee SS, Zhang M, Tsang YF, Kim K. Heavy metals in food crops: Health risks, fate, mechanisms, and management. Environ Int. 2019; 125: 365-85.

[56] Leib LH. Human Rights and the Environment: Philosophical, Theoretical and Legal Perspectives. 1st ed. Leiden: Brill; 2011.

[57] Boyd DR. The constitutional right to a healthy environment. Environ Sci Policy. 2012; 54: 3-15.

[58] Ramón F, Lull C. Legal measures to prevent and manage soil contamination and to increase food safety for consumer health: The case of Spain. Environ Pollut. 2019; 250: 883-91.

[59] Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection[Internet]. COM [cited 2025 Apr 24]. Available from: https://eur—lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2002:0179:FIN:EN:PDF

[60] Revised European Charter for the Protection and Sustainable Management of Soil[Internet]. CO—DBP [cited 2025 Apr 24]. Available from: https://www.spcs.pt/wp—content/uploads/2021/05/2003—Revised—European—Soil—Charter_PED_EuropeanCHARTERSoilEN.pdf

[61] Ifon BE, Togbé ACF, Tometin LAS, Suanon F, Yessoufou A. Metal—contaminated soil remediation: phytoremediation, chemical leaching and electrochemical remediation. In: Begum ZA, Rahman IMM, Hasegawa H, editors. Metals in soil—contamination and remediation. London: IntechOpen; 2019. pp. 534-54.

[62] Gao J, Faheem M, Yu X. Global Research on Contaminated Soil Remediation: A Bibliometric Network Analysis. Land. 2022; 11: 1581.

[63] Adeoye AO, Adebayo IA, Afodun AM, Ajijolakewu KA. Benefits and limitations of phytoremediation: Heavy metal remediation review. In: Bhat RA, Tonelli FMP, Dar GH, Hakeem K, editors. Phytoremediation: Biotechnological Strategies for Promoting Invigorating Environs. 1st ed. Cambridge: Academic Press; 2022. pp. 227—38.

[64] Olawade DB, Wada OZ, Ige AO, Egbewole BI, Olojo A, Oladapo BI. Artificial intelligence in environmental monitoring: Advancements, challenges, and future directions. Hyg Environ Heal Adv. 2024; 12: 100114.