Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. 
Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. What was studied?
The study apple-juice-lead-and-arsenic-certification relevance is straightforward: it tested whether legacy lead arsenate pesticide residues in orchard soil translate into meaningful lead (Pb) or total arsenic (As) contamination in apples and apple products. Researchers sampled soil (two depths) and paired tree tissues (leaves and fruit) from selected Michigan orchards, then processed harvested apples into juice and pomace to see how metals partition during juicing. Metals were quantified using microwave digestion (for soil, leaves, pomace) and ICP-MS (directly for juice), with a reporting minimum of 1 µg/kg for Pb and As. The work also measured soil pH and organic matter to contextualize mobility and plant availability, and it used regression analysis plus a bioaccumulation factor (BAF) approach to evaluate soil-to-plant transfer.
Who was studied?
The “subjects” were orchards and apple trees, not humans or animals. Samples came from four Michigan orchards (Clinton, Ionia, Mason, and Van Buren counties) during the 2016 season, targeting plots categorized as “old” (established before 1988) versus “new” (after 1988) to reflect the U.S. ban timing for lead arsenate pesticides. In total, 20 apple trees were sampled across these orchards; for each tree, investigators collected composite soil cores at 1 m from the trunk split into 0–20 cm (topsoil) and 20–40 cm (subsoil), along with 40 leaves and 6–8 mature apples per tree. Apples were rinsed, then juiced into two fractions (juice and pomace) to assess how Pb and As distribute across processing outputs relevant to consumer exposure and certification testing.
Most important findings
For apple-juice-lead-and-arsenic-certification, the key takeaway is that these Michigan orchards showed low soil metals near background ranges, and soil contamination did not meaningfully predict Pb/As in apples or juice—except for a modest association between topsoil Pb and leaf Pb, which matters for surveillance but not necessarily for edible-risk classification.
| Critical point | Details |
|---|---|
| Lead was higher in topsoil than subsoil | Mean Pb in topsoil 9.4 mg/kg vs subsoil 6.9 mg/kg (dry weight), a significant depth effect, consistent with Pb’s lower mobility and stronger binding near the surface. |
| Arsenic did not differ by soil depth | Mean total As was 2.9 mg/kg (topsoil) vs 3.2 mg/kg (subsoil) (dry weight), not significantly different, aligning with greater As mobility/leaching relative to Pb. |
| Apple tissues and products contained very low metals | Leaves averaged 0.23 mg/kg Pb and 0.067 mg/kg As (dry weight). Juice averaged 0.0061 mg/kg Pb (~6.1 µg/kg) while total As in all juice samples was <1 µg kg (below quantification). pomace averaged 0.013 mg pb and 0.007 as (wet weight). < td> |
| Processing shifts exposure pathways differently for Pb vs As | During juicing, Pb partitioned more into juice (64.7%) than pomace (35.3%), while As partitioned more into pomace (60.7%) than juice (39.3%). This supports targeted testing choices depending on product type (juice vs byproducts). |
| Soil-to-edible transfer was negligible at these concentrations | BAFs for both metals were ~0.01, classifying apple trees here as “excluders.” No significant relationship was found between soil As and leaf/juice/pomace As, and no significant soil–juice Pb relationship was detected; the only significant soil link was leaf Pb vs topsoil Pb (R² ~0.24; P=0.03), and juice Pb vs pomace Pb was also significant but weak (R² ~0.22; P=0.04). |
| Levels were well below cited comparison benchmarks | Calculated whole-apple metals were reported as far below EPA drinking water limits (10 µg/kg As; 15 µg/kg Pb) and below the paper’s cited FDA juice reference points (proposed 10 µg/kg As action level; 50 µg/kg Pb recommended level). |
Key implications
For HMTC-style decisions, apple-juice-lead-and-arsenic-certification suggests that, when orchard soils resemble Michigan background levels, product compliance is unlikely to be driven by soil residues alone, so regulatory emphasis should prioritize finished-product testing (juice and whole fruit) over soil as a sole screening tool. Certification requirements should still track Pb more aggressively than total As for juice because Pb preferentially partitions into juice, while As risk may concentrate more in pomace-based ingredients. Industry applications include specifying sampling plans that include juice, pomace/byproduct streams, and leaf monitoring as an early-warning indicator of soil Pb influence. Research gaps include cultivar effects and sites with higher historical residues, plus understanding disturbance/tillage impacts. Practical recommendations are to pair targeted soil history review with routine ICP-MS verification of products and clear action thresholds.
Citation
Cao LTT, Bourquin LD. Relationship of arsenic and lead in soil with fruit and leaves of apple trees at selected orchards in Michigan. Journal of Food Protection. 2020;83(6):935-942. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-325
Lead is a neurotoxic heavy metal with no safe exposure level. It contaminates food, consumer goods and drinking water, causing cognitive deficits, birth defects and cardiovascular disease. HMTC’s rigorous lead testing applies ALARA principles to protect infants and consumers and to prepare brands for tightening regulations.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that ranks first on the ATSDR toxic substances list. Inorganic arsenic contaminates water, rice and consumer products, and exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive deficits, low birth weight and cancer. HMTC’s stringent certification applies ALARA principles to protect vulnerable populations.
