How safe is our kitchen?from contaminated sugar to plastic eggs ,now a study has confirmed that part of the imported fish into Kenya and the larger East African region from China contains traces of heavy metals, which are harmful to human health.
The laboratory tests commissioned by The EastAfricanshow, came after health concerns were recently raised by several countries, including the US, that called for tighter controls in the enforcement of safety and health checks by .
According to drug sample analysis of residue done by the University of Nairobi’s laboratory, the fish purchased from a wholesale dealer at Nairobi’s Gikomba market contained lead, mercury, copper, and arsenic.
The results, though in levels permissible by the WHO standards, confirmed residues of 0.04 ppm of lead, 0.005 ppm of mercury, 0.001 ppm of arsenic and 1.2 ppm of copper, indicating possible contamination of the water ponds used to farm the fish.
According to Prof James Maria, the head of the Department the University of Nairobi’s Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, “The results show that these fish have permissible limits, but it is still worrying that their presence can still be detected in them.
“Long-term exposure to these metals for the human body, through frequent consumption of such food, can have a disastrous effect, and therefore their presence and long-term effects in the human body poses serious health risks,” Prof Mbaria disclosed.