Dhaka's soybean oil contains excessive levels lead, nickel, copper and arsenic

A recent study found anxious findings over presence of harmful elements in soybean oil collected different markets in Dhaka.

The researchers found 20 out of their collected 21 samples contained excessive presence of lead while all of the samples found the similar contamination of copper and arsenic.

Besides, 14 of those samples also contained excessive level of nickel.

The samples were collected from four wholesale markets from the capital city.

The study report were published at the Journal of food composition and analysis magazine on 8 October.

Dhaka University, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Bangladesh Science and Industry Research Institute’s researchers were involved in the study.

The researchers collected and tested 21 samples of soybean oil from markets in Mohammadpur, Mirpur, New Market and Karwan Bazar areas.

Among the samples, 6 were different brands’ packaged oil and the 15 were open oil.

The researchers were analysed the presence and limits of lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, manganese, mercury, nickel and copper.

The study found one of the samples contained lead level more than 19 time excess than the highest level of Codex limits.

It also found nickel presence was 24 time more than the Codex highest limit.

The study report said that there were no findings that how were these harmful elements contaminated the oil.

The researchers said that this study findings must not be determined the standard and quality of all the soybean oil of Bangladesh.

They have recommended the government to conduct regular test over the raw materials of the soybean oil and its producing processes.