Hygienic analysis of public health risks from consumption of food contaminated with heavy metals

In this work, an assessment of the health risk to the population of Ufa associated with chemical contamination of food products with heavy metals was carried out. The study revealed specific patterns of accumulation of toxic elements in different groups of products: dairy prod-ucts demonstrate elevated concentrations of Pb, Cd and Ni; meat products – Hg; fruit and vege-table products – As. An excess of the permissible level of non-carcinogenic risk for arsenic (HQ = 1.143) was revealed, indicating a potential danger to the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The total carcinogenic risk is at an acceptable level (1.39×10-5), with the main contribution of cadmi-um (52%) and arsenic (43%). The data obtained emphasize the need for priority control of As and Cd content in food products, development of targeted preventive measures, and optimization of the food monitoring system.