The Chemical and Biological Pollution of Potato and Corn Chips
Modhir N.A. Hawraa. Wahab1
and Salih Abudalmahdi Khadim2
1
Babylon University, College of Science for Women, Iraq
2
Alqasim Green University, College of Biotechnology, Iraq
Accepted 15 Dec 2014, Available online 25 Dec 2014, Vol.2 (Nov/Dec 2014 issue)
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the levels of some heavy metals (Fe, pb and Cd) and also some metals such as
(Ca ,Na and K) were estimated in some brands of potato and corn chips selected from the local market of Hilla city in
Iraq in October 2013. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to evaluate levels of heavy metals whereas flame
photometry was used to estimate the other metals (Ca , Na and K) Biological study was carried out for determining the
total number of bacteria and fungi. The results showed that the mean of metals in potato chips was found as follow
5330 , 2125 , 60 , 1.59 , 7.73 and 0.43 mg/kg for Na , K , Ca , Fe , Pb and Cd respectively , where as it 2270 , 6650 , 465 ,
4.40 , 11.86 and 0.266 mg/kg in corn chips respectively. The levels of heavy metals in potato chips were higher than corn
chips samples except cadmium as shown in this study whereas Na , K and ca were higher in corn chips samples than
those in potato chips. The results of biological study revealed that aerobic bacteria, coli form bacteria and pathogenic
staphylococcus were Identified in both samples (potato and corn chips). Chips may have been contaminated during the
manufacturing process or in the packing or from raw materials .
Keywords: Potato chips, corn chips etc.
1. Introduction
Food pollution means the presence in food or associated
with food of toxic chemicals and or biological
contaminants which are naturally present in food or are
above their natural back ground levels (for those
chemicals which are naturally found in some foods, this
may affect each of us by causing mild to severe food
illness or even worse contributing or causing the
development of serious health problems such as
hormonal and metabolism problems or even various type
of cancer
(1)
.
Potato and Corn chips are considered as snack foods
that can polluted.
Snack food are often subjectively classified as junk
food because they typically have little or no nutritional
value and are not seen as contributing to wards general
health and nutrition .
A potato chips or crisp is a thin slice of potato that has
been deep friend or baked.
The basic potato and corn chips are cooked and salted
and they are a portion of food often smaller than a
regular meal eaten between meals (2)
.
Lays is one a very popular brand of potato chips lays
classic potato chips have no preservatives or additives ,
they have no cholesterol and they have healthy
polyunsaturated and mono unsaturated fats (3)
.
Corn chips have the strong aroma and flavor or roasted
corn and are often heavily dusted with salt (4) (5)
.
Potato and corn chips polluted in heavy metals such
as lead, cadmium etc.
The contamination caused from environment or
through chips processing.
Potentially environmental contaminants with the
capability of causing to human health this occurs when
they are found largely in food and consumed excessively
by human, this idea is of great concern due to their toxic
effects on human body at very low concentration and
evaluate the concentration of health risk found in the
studied with the respect to value of minimal risk level (6)
.
Heavy metal become toxic when they are not
metabolized by the body and accumulate in the soft
tissues, they may enter the human body through water,
air or absorption through the skin when they come in
contact with humans (7) (8)
.
Heavy metals with adverse health effects in human
metabolism (including lead and cadmium) present
obvious concerns due to their persistence in the
environment and documented potential for serious
consequence
(9)
.
Cadmium is an extremely toxic metal commonly found
in industrial workplaces.
Due to its low permissible exposure limit over
exposure may occur even in situations where trace
quantities are found (10)
.
Modhir N.A. Hawraa. Wahab et al The Chemical and Biological Pollution of Potato and Corn Chips
1192 | Int. J. of Multidisciplinary and Current research, Nov/Dec 2014
Table -1 Quantity of some metals in corn chips mg/kg
Element type
chips type
Na K Ca Fe Pb Cd
Bocher
Basat
5200
5500
1750
2500
675
685
1.64
1.54
8.76
6.72
0.23
0.63
Mean of two brands 5350 2125 680 1.59 7.73 0.43
Table -2-The average of some heavy metals (mg/kg) in potato and corn chips in different countries
Country chips type Fe Pb Cd
Saudia
Arabia
Potato chips
Corn chip
10.38
6.05
2.11
5.34
0.26
0.21
Kuwait Potato chips
Corn chips
6.05
___
5.34
____
0.23
0.21
Turkey Potato chips
Corn chips
-------
10.37
2.8
1.42
-----
0.14
Table -3 Quantities of some metals in potato chips mg/km
Element type
chips type
Na K Ca Fe Pb cd
Hendrin
lays
1180
3400
3500
9800
550
380
4.32
4.48
12.20
11.50
0.292
0.240
Mean of two brands 2270 6650 465 4.40 11.86 0.266
Table - 4 Biological contaminations of potato and corn chips
Chips sample
Media name
Potato chips Corn chips
Lays Hendrin Bochar basat
Nutrient Agar Aerobic bacteria Candida rhizopus Aerobic Bacteria
Potato dextrose Agar Aspergillus candida Pencilium A.flavusPencilium
Macconkey Agar E.coliKlebsiella E .coil E.coliKlebsiella E .coil
Mannitol salt Agar S.epidermidiss S.aereus S.aereus S.aereus
Lead poising is a medical condition in human and other
caused by increased levels of heavy metals lead in body
(11)
.
Lead interferes with variety of body processes and is
toxic to many organs and tissues and therefore
particularly toxic to children (12)
.
Iron poising is an iron over load caused by a large
excess of iron intake and usually refers to an a cute over
load than a gradual one, the term has been primary
associated with young children (13)
.
Biological contamination which means the pollutions
caused by any living organisms including bacteria, viruses,
fungi etc.
Which have been hazard to human an beings Bacteria,
Fungi and other species as the alien species can directly
or including allergy respiratory diseases, digestive system,
nervous system , blood system and may be caused cancer
(14)
.
Potato and corn chips environmentally contaminated
with bacteria and Fungi or through the processing.
The biological contaminated chips cause serious and
sometime fatal infections in young children or elderly
people and others with weakened immune system
nausea , vomiting and abdominal pain other study found
that the resistant starch corn chips was difficult to digest
and may be cause colon cancer (15)
.
Now days potato and corn chips are widely consumed
all over the world especially by young and children (16 )
.
The objective of this study is to estimate the levels of
heavy metals and some other metals in potato and corn
chips consumed in Iraq and the biological contamination
of them.
Materials and methods

Twenty five samples of potato and corn chips were
collected randomly from the market of Hilla city during
October 2013 representing four different types of chips.
The samples were milled and dried at 150 C0
for one
hour before chemical analysis to estimate the metals (Fe,
pb and cd) by using atomic absorption spectrometer.
Whereas the metals (Na, K and Ca) they burned to 550 c0
in (oven) and then evaluated by flame photometer.
In microbial study many typ