Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysore-570 011.
A simple, quick semi-quantitative test for the determination of lead metal in canned fruits, vegetables other than dehydrated onion, fish, and meat products, has been developed using the optimised concentration of dithizone reagent under alkaline pH as the test solution, which on reaction with the sample solution gives green to blue to violet to red colour, depending on the lead concentration in the sample. The quick test results were compared with atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis. A total of 80 samples were analysed and it was found that the lead content ranged from 0.001 ppm to 10.35 ppm in all the samples.
Lead detection, quick test, dithizone reagent, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, processed foods, lead poisoning, toxicity, canned foods
