Abstract:
The levels of four essential metals (Ca Mg, Fe, and Zn) and two non-essential metals (Pb and
Cd) were determined in Anna and BR-64 apple fruit varieties cultivated in Lay Gayint district,
Ethiopia. Wet digestion method using a mixture of 5mL of concentrated HNO3 and 1mL HClO4
was used for digestion of the samples. The determination processes were done by flame atomic
absorption spectrometry for all essential and non-essential metals. The results obtained revealed
that the concentrations of metals in the Anna sample varieties in mg/kg dry weight were: Ca
(137.306), Fe (3.8266), Mg (129.81),Zn (0.3433), Pb (0.0059) and Cd (0.0018) and BR-64 apple
sample varieties in mg/kg dry weight were: Ca(138.796),Fe (3.25),Mg (131.046),Zn (0.2866), Pb
(0.0029) and Cd (0.0018). The results showed that the levels of metals were slightly higher in the
Anna than BR-64 apple sample except magnesium and Cadmium. In addition, the content of
metals in both the analyzed samples variety were found below the FAO/WHO maximum
permissible limit and hence these are safe for human consumption and can be considered as a
good source of essential nutrients.
