Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye

Esranur Tan; Aşkin Birgül; Nadide Seyhun; Esma Nur Seçkin; Nurbanu Cesur; Hüseyin Demircan; Sebahat Ozdemir; Gökçen Yıldız; Rasim Alper Oral

doi:10.38088/jise.1674092

Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination in food-grade quicklime sourced from various regions of Türkiye was evaluated to assess its safety for applications such as dessert preparation, cheese production, sugar refining, and pH adjustment in the food industry. Quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO), commonly used as a food additive, was tested for heavy metal content to determine compliance with international safety standards. Samples collected from different cities (Mersin, Adana, Bursa, Antalya, Balıkesir, İzmir, Manisa) were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). A total of 17 heavy metals-beryllium (Be), aluminum (Al), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb)-were determined. Concentrations were compared against internationally recognized safety standards, including those of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The results revealed that most heavy metals, including aluminum, arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium, were within permissible limits for food-grade materials. However, elevated levels of iron and zinc were observed, with iron ranging from 7.81 ± 0.00 mg/kg (Antalya-1) to 183.38 ± 56.70 mg/kg (Bursa-1), and zinc ranging from 11.78 ± 0.46 mg/kg (İzmir-1) to 18.52 ± 1.34 mg/kg (Manisa-1), although these levels remained below the recommended daily intake values. These findings highlight the importance of sourcing quicklime from reliable suppliers and implementing strict quality control procedures to ensure its safe use in food production. Additionally, environmental factors such as soil composition, industrial activity, and water sources, as well as production practices including raw material selection and processing methods, influence the heavy metal content. Continued monitoring and expanded research are necessary to maintain food safety standards and support regulatory policies for the use of quicklime in food applications.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

TUBITAK

Project Number

222O159

Ethical Statement

This study does not require ethics committee permission or any special permission.

Thanks

The authors would like to thank Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye for their financial contribution to the project, numbered 222O159.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Food Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Esranur Tan
0000-0001-5854-0622
Türkiye

Aşkin Birgül
0000-0002-7718-0340
Türkiye

Nadide Seyhun
0000-0002-0086-8374
Türkiye

Esma Nur Seçkin
0000-0002-2823-9334
Türkiye

Nurbanu Cesur
0000-0001-6177-8076
Türkiye

Hüseyin Demircan
0000-0003-3375-8777
Türkiye

Sebahat Ozdemir
0000-0002-7047-387X
Türkiye

Gökçen Yıldız
0000-0002-6637-7666
Türkiye

Rasim Alper Oral ^*
0000-0001-7530-7478
Türkiye

Publication Date

April 11, 2026

Submission Date

April 11, 2025

Acceptance Date

June 18, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.38088/jise.1674092

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA55RK98KD

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Tan, E., Birgül, A., Seyhun, N., Seçkin, E. N., Cesur, N., Demircan, H., Ozdemir, S., Yıldız, G., & Oral, R. A. (2026). Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye. Journal of Innovative Science and Engineering, 10(1), 37-45. https://doi.org/10.38088/jise.1674092

AMA

1.Tan E, Birgül A, Seyhun N, et al. Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye. JISE. 2026;10(1):37-45. doi:10.38088/jise.1674092

Chicago

Tan, Esranur, Aşkin Birgül, Nadide Seyhun, et al. 2026. “Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye”. Journal of Innovative Science and Engineering 10 (1): 37-45. https://doi.org/10.38088/jise.1674092.

EndNote

Tan E, Birgül A, Seyhun N, Seçkin EN, Cesur N, Demircan H, Ozdemir S, Yıldız G, Oral RA (April 1, 2026) Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye. Journal of Innovative Science and Engineering 10 1 37–45.

IEEE

[1]E. Tan et al., “Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye”, JISE, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 37–45, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.38088/jise.1674092.

ISNAD

Tan, Esranur - Birgül, Aşkin - Seyhun, Nadide - Seçkin, Esma Nur - Cesur, Nurbanu - Demircan, Hüseyin - Ozdemir, Sebahat - Yıldız, Gökçen - Oral, Rasim Alper. “Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye”. Journal of Innovative Science and Engineering 10/1 (April 1, 2026): 37-45. https://doi.org/10.38088/jise.1674092.

JAMA

1.Tan E, Birgül A, Seyhun N, Seçkin EN, Cesur N, Demircan H, Ozdemir S, Yıldız G, Oral RA. Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye. JISE. 2026;10:37–45.

MLA

Tan, Esranur, et al. “Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye”. Journal of Innovative Science and Engineering, vol. 10, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 37-45, doi:10.38088/jise.1674092.

Vancouver

1.Esranur Tan, Aşkin Birgül, Nadide Seyhun, Esma Nur Seçkin, Nurbanu Cesur, Hüseyin Demircan, Sebahat Ozdemir, Gökçen Yıldız, Rasim Alper Oral. Regional Variation in Heavy Metal Levels of Food-Grade Quicklime in Türkiye. JISE. 2026 Apr. 1;10(1):37-45. doi:10.38088/jise.1674092