Determination of elemental composition and median lethal dose of calabash chalk

Abstract

Calabash chalk is a geophagic material consumed mostly for its emetic function, though other reasons are not rule out. A report of a sample analysis revealed toxic metals/metalloids, as well as persistent organic pollutants. This lead to this study to investigate the elemental composition of a sample from southern Nigeria, and to determine its median lethal dose. Nonsalted calabash chalk was analyzed for the presence of some major and trace elements using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and their concentrations was determined by inductively coupled plasma-quadrupolar mass spectrometry