Some containers of common fruit juices like apple and grape juice may contain excessive amounts of arsenic and lead, according to a new study conducted by the American magazine Consumer Reports.
By conducting their own tests on store-bought apple and grape juice, polling readers, analyzing U.S. federal data and interviewing doctors and other experts, they found that about ten percent of sampled juice – from across five different brands – contained levels of arsenic and lead that exceeded federal regulations for bottled water.
Across a sample of 88 bottles of juice, the researchers found that five samples of apple juice and four samples of grape juice exceeded the ten parts per billion limit imposed on bottled water. About one quarter of the samples, meanwhile, went over the five ppb limit for lead.
They also found that about 35 percent of children under age five drink more than the doctor-recommended amount of juice, and that apple and grape juice make up a significant source of exposure to arsenic.
Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of the magazine, now plans to petition the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to implement legal limits for arsenic and lead in apple and grape juices.