{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T00:50:56Z","timestamp":1791420656953,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J of Applied Toxicology"],"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Prepaid mobile phone recharge cards remain widely used consumer products in many low\u2010 and middle\u2010income settings, yet the scratch\u2010off coatings that conceal personal identification numbers (PINs) have received little attention as potential sources of trace\u2010metal exposure. The present study quantified lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) in scratch\u2010off coatings collected from three major telecommunications brands marketed in Saudi Arabia and evaluated potential health risks using conservative and realistic exposure models. Thirty cards from each brand were purchased from retail outlets in Taif city. Scratch\u2010off coatings were mechanically removed, homogenized, and digested using nitric\/perchloric acid prior to analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Quality assurance procedures included blank correction, triplicate analysis, calibration verification, and recovery assessment (&gt;\u200990% for all analytes). Measured concentrations ranged from 16.12 to 17.62\u2009mg\/kg for Pb, 0.26 to 0.52\u2009mg\/kg for Cd, and 9.69 to 13.13\u2009mg\/kg for Cu, with Pb consistently representing the dominant contaminant. Exposure was assessed by the daily intake of metals (DIM), average daily intake (ADI), and dermal absorbed dose (DAD) approaches. Under the conservative DIM scenario, Pb yielded values of 0.0248\u20130.0271\u2009mg\/kg\/day and corresponding Health Risk Index (HRI) values of 6.20\u20136.78, exceeding the safety threshold. In contrast, ingestion\u2010based ADI estimates (10\n                    <jats:sup>\u22126<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u2009mg\/kg\/day) and DAD estimates (10\n                    <jats:sup>\u22128<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u201310\n                    <jats:sup>\u22129<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u2009mg\/kg\/day) were markedly lower, indicating that realistic exposure is substantially less than the upper\u2010bound scenario. Target hazard quotient (THQ) values exceeded unity for Pb but not for Cd or Cu; however, the cumulative Hazard Index (HI) ranged from 7.08 to 7.76, indicating possible noncarcinogenic concern dominated by Pb. Target cancer risk (TCR) values for Cd (1.52\u2009\u00d7\u200910\n                    <jats:sup>\u22126<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u20133.04\u2009\u00d7\u200910\n                    <jats:sup>\u22126<\/jats:sup>\n                    ) fell within the generally acceptable regulatory range but still indicate a measurable lifetime cancer risk. Overall, the findings identify scratch\u2010off coatings as a previously underrecognized consumer\u2010product exposure pathway and support the need for improved quality control, regulatory oversight, and safer coating formulations.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/jat.70465","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T00:06:08Z","timestamp":1791417968000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Scratch\u2010Off Coatings of Prepaid Mobile Phone Cards in Saudi Arabia: Analytical Determination, Exposure Pathways, and Human Health Risk Evaluation"],"prefix":"10.1002","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0445-1357","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed H.","family":"Bakheit","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy King Saud University  Riyadh Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5703-0014","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eram","family":"Eltahir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy King Saud University  Riyadh Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3261-2565","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Badraddin M. H.","family":"Al\u2010Hadiya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy King Saud University  Riyadh Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/s41271\u2010021\u201000325\u20107"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.toxrep.2014.05.008"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sciaf.2021.e00954"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsps.2020.05.006"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2023.115270"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40201\u2010020\u201000539\u2010z"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/horticulturae11020216"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","first-page":"42","article-title":"Toxicological Assessment of Scratch\u2010Off Foils From Prepaid Cards in Male Wistar Rat","volume":"2","author":"Fatoki J. O.","year":"2017","journal-title":"Chemical Research Journal"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15569527.2023.2268197"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","first-page":"311","article-title":"Heavy Metals Concentrations in Mobile Phone Recharge Cards in Iraq","volume":"9","author":"Hussein R. A.","year":"2018","journal-title":"Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10807039.2018.1520596"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00484\u2010024\u201002729\u2010y"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hazadv.2024.100485"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598\u2010024\u201083477\u20102"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11270\u2010024\u201007642\u2010z"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2024.118890"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598\u2010024\u201070409\u20103"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.22059\/poll.2019.284137.647"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_20_1","first-page":"19","article-title":"Evaluation of Health Risk Associated With Heavy Metals From Silver Coatings of Recharge Cards in Harare","volume":"10","author":"Ndhlovu T.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Research Inventy: International Journal of Engineering and Science"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_21_1","first-page":"80","article-title":"Risk Assessment of Using Coated Mobile Recharge Cards in Nigeria","volume":"3","author":"Okunola O. J.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10661\u2010009\u20101198\u20109"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/toxics12060388"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15569543.2018.1471091"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356\u2010024\u201032664\u20109"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy13041066"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598\u2010023\u201043365\u20107"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_28_1","volume-title":"Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, Volume I: Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part A); EPA\/540\/1\u201389\/002","author":"US EPA","year":"1989"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_29_1","volume-title":"Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, Volume I: Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part E, Supplemental Guidance for Dermal Risk Assessment); EPA\/540\/R\/99\/005","author":"US EPA","year":"2004"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_30_1","volume-title":"Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment; EPA\/630\/P\u201003\/001F","author":"US EPA","year":"2005"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_31_1","volume-title":"Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition; EPA\/600\/R\u201009\/052F","author":"US EPA","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules26196060"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jat.4827"}],"container-title":["Journal of Applied Toxicology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/jat.70465","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/jat.70465","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/jat.70465","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T00:06:11Z","timestamp":1791417971000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/jat.70465"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"references-count":32,"alternative-id":["10.1002\/jat.70465"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jat.70465","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0260-437X","1099-1263"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0260-437X","type":"print"},{"value":"1099-1263","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-06-10","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-09-08","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-10-07","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"jat.70465"}}