Variation of strontium stable isotope ratios and origins of strontium in Japanese vegetables and comparison with Chinese vegetables. (15th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aoyama, Keisuke; Nakano, Takanori; Shin, Ki-Cheol; Izawa, Atsunobu; Morita, Sakie
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 237(2017)
• Page Start: 1186
• Page End: 1195
• Publication Date: 2017-12-15
• Subjects: Sr isotopes -- Vegetable -- Geographical provenance -- Linear discriminant analysis -- Fertilizer; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.06.027
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: We made a prefectural map on the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of Japanese vegetables. This map can be used as a tool to identify the production area of vegetables. This is because vegetable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr tends to vary dependent on the bedr ock geology. Japanese vegetables contain a part of Sr derived from fertilizer and precipitation. Use of Sr content improves this vegetable identification between Japan and China. Abstract: To evaluate the utility of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio for determining the geographical provenance of vegetables, we compared 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and Sr concentrations in five vegetable species grown in Japan and China, and we also examined the relationships between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in vegetables, the soil-exchangeable pool, irrigation water, and fertilizer from 20 Japanese agricultural areas. The vegetable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in Japan were similar for all species within a given agricultural area, but tended to be low in northeast Japan and high in southwest Japan. The median 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in Japanese vegetables was similar to that in fertilizer, suggesting that in addition to rock-derived Sr, vegetables contain Sr derived from fertilizers. In most cases, the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios for the Japanese and Chinese vegetables differed by approximately 0.710. Linear discriminant analysis using both 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and the Sr concentration allowed more accurate discrimination between vegetables from the two countries.