Assessment of Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr in vegetables grown around Zanjan

Subject Areas : Food Science and Technology

A. Afshari ¹ , H. Khademi ²

1 - MSc Student of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran 2. Professor of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University
2 - Professor of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2014-07-16 Accepted : 2016-07-24 Published : 2017-05-22

Keywords: Heavy metals, Vegetables, Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Metal Pollution Index (MPI), Target Hazard Qquotient (THQ),

Abstract :

This study was conducted aimed to assess the potential risk of heavy metals on human health resulting from consumption of vegetables. To this end, the vegetables grown around town and industrial center of Zanjan were sampled randomly. Plant samples were digested using hydrochloric acid (HCL) 2 M and concentration of elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr) were recorded by atomic absorption. Obtained means of heavy metals in all vegetables (N= 32) for Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni and Cr is 98.8, 31.9, 19.3, 4.4 and 2.3 mg/kg, respectively. The highest amount of metal pollution index (MPI) in the basil and the lowest was observed in the garden cress (respectively 16.46 and 4.88). Daily intake (EDI) for zinc, copper and chromium in all age groups was lower than the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI). This amount for nickel was 2, 1.6 and 1.3 %, and for Pb 28.1, 22 and 19 % higher than PTDI in children, adults and seniors, respectively. The potential risk (THQ) was calculated in all age groups as Pb>>Cu>Zn>Ni>Cr. The potential risks (THQ) of chromium, nickel and zinc were calculated lower than 1, for copper a bit more of 1 and for lead much higher than 1. Health index (HI) for children, adults and the elderly was estimated 31.331, 24.58 and 21.14, respectively, with the largest contribution of the lead (89.7%).

References:

• · Amin, N., Hussain, A., Alamzeb, S., and Begum, S. (2012). Accumulation of heavy metals in edible parts of vegetables irrigated with waste water and their daily intake to adults and children, District Mardan Pakistan. Food Chemistry, 136(3-4):1515-1523.


• · BeigiHarchegani, H., and Banitalebi, G. (2013). The effect of twenty-three years of surface irrigation with treated municipality wastewater on soil loadings, transfer to wheat and corn grains, and related health risks of some heavy metals. Journal of Water and Soil, 27 (3): 570-580. [In Persian] Khan, S., Cao, Q., Zheng, Y.M., Huang, Y.Z., and Zhu, Y.G. (2008). Health risks of heavy metals in contamination soils and food crops irrigated with wastewater in Beijing, China. Environmental Pollution, 152 (3): 686-692.


• · Kumar, R.S., Agrawal, M. and Marshal, F.M. (2009). Heavy metals in vegetables collected from production and market sites of a tropical urban area of India. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 47: 583-591.


• · Li, Q., Chen, Y., Fu, H., Cui, Z., Shi, L., Wang, L. et al. (2012). Health risk of heavy metals in food crops grown on reclaimed tidal flat soil in the Pearl River Estuary, China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 15: 227-228:148-154.


• · Mohammadian, M., Nouri, J., Afshari, N., Nassiri, J., and Nourani, M. (2008). Investigation of heavy metals concentrations in the water wells close to Zanjan Zinc and Lead smelting Plant. Iranian Journal of Health & Environmental, 1 (1): 51-56. [In Persian]


• · Nazemi, S., Asgari, A.R., and Raei, M. (2010). Survey the amount of heavy metals in cultural vegetables in suburbs of Shahroud. Iranian Journal of Health & Environmental, 3 (2): 195-202. [In Persian]


• · Qian, Y., Chen, C., Zhang, Q., Li, Y., Chen, Z. and Li, M. (2010). Concentration of cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in Chinese market milled rice and associated population health risk. Food Control, 21: 1757-1763.


• · Salehi, M., Ghorbani, H., Afyuni, M., and KheirAbadi, H. (2014). The potential risk assessment of heavy metals on human in some agricultural products in Isfahan Province. JWSS – Isfahan University of Technology, 18 (67): 71-81. [In Persian]


• · Singh, A., Kumar, R.S., Agrawal, M. and Marshal, F.M. (2010). Health risk assessment of heavy metals via dietary intake of foodstuffs from the wastewater irrigated site of a dry tropical area of India. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 48: 611-619.


• · Song, B., Lei, M., Chen, T., Zheng, Y., Xie, Y., Li, X. et al. (2009). Assessing the health risk of heavy metals in vegetables to the general population in Beijing, China. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21: 1702-1709


• · USEPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) (1989) Risk assessment guidance for superfund. Human health evaluation manual part A. EPA/540/1-89/002. Office of health and environmental assessment, Washington, DC, USA.


• · Wang, X., Sato, T., Xiang, B. and Tao, S. (2005). Health risks of heavy metals to the general public in Tianjin, China via consumption of vegetables and fish. Science of the Total Environment, 350: 28-37.


• · Wilde S.A., Corey R.B. and Iye’r J.G. (1979). Soils and plant analysis for tree culture. Part 3. Analysis of plant tissue. Oxford and IBH, New Delhi, pp. 93-106.


• · Yang, Q.W., Xu, Y., Liu, S.J., He, J.F. and Long, F.Y. (2011). Concentration and potential health risk of heavy metals in market vegetables in Chongqing, China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 74: 1664-1669.


• · Zheng, N., Wang, Q., and Zheng, D. (2007). Health risk of Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu to the inhabitants around Huludao Zinc Plant in China via consumption of vegetables. Science of the Total Environmental, 383: 81-89.