Direct, rapid, non-destructive and ‘white’ multielemental toxicological analysis of hazardous elements with health risk assessment in candies and wrappers from Polish flea markets using portable XRF spectroscopy

Elemental analysis of solid candy and wrapper samples from Polish flea markets was conducted using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), a fast, cost-effective, and non-destructive technique. Hazardous elements were detected in candies, including Ni (5.20 ± 0.56 μg/g), Fe (17.28 ± 1.03 μg/g), Ba (41.23 ± 7.10 μg/g), Cr (9.63 ± 2.30 μg/g), Cd (0.56 ± 0.33 μg/g), and Cu (7.30 ± 1.15 μg/g), while wrappers contained high levels of Ti (13073.31 ± 106.80 μg/g), Sb (158.29 ± 5.28 μg/g), and Ba (2081.01 ± 36.42 μg/g). Health risk assessments showed Ni and Cd exceeding acceptable limits, posing risks for children consuming three candies daily. Non-carcinogenic risks from Ba and Cd also surpassed provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) values. Minimal migration between wrappers and candies was observed, but extreme conditions may increase contamination. The study highlights the need for stricter food safety regulations and adoption of pXRF for rapid, non-invasive detection of hazardous elements.