Assessment of trace metals in five most-consumed vegetables in the US: Conventional vs. organic. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hadayat, Naila; De Oliveira, Letuzia M.; Da Silva, Evandro; Han, Lingyue; Hussain, Mumtaz; Liu, Xue; Ma, Lena Q.
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 243(2018)Part A
• Page Start: 292
• Page End: 300
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Tomato -- Onion -- Lettuce -- Potato -- Carrot -- Health risks; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.065
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Metal concentrations (As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ba, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) in conventional and organic produce were assessed, specifically, five most-consumed vegetables from the US including potato, lettuce, tomato, carrot and onion. They were from four representative supermarkets in a college town in Florida. All vegetables contained detectable metals, while As, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ba are toxic metals, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn are nutrients for humans. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ba in five vegetables were 7.86, 9.17, 12.1, 44.8 and 410 μg/kg for organic produce, slightly lower than conventional produce at 7.29, 15.3, 17.9, 46.3 and 423 μg/kg. The mean concentrations of Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn in five vegetables were 3.86, 58.5, 632, and 2528 μg/kg for organic produce, comparable to conventional produce at 5.94, 68.2, 577, and 2354 μg/kg. For toxic metals, the order followed tomato < lettuce < onion < carrot < potato, with root vegetables being the highest. All metals in vegetables were lower than the allowable concentrations by FAO/WHO. Health risks associated with vegetable consumption based on daily intake and non-carcinogenic risk based on hazard quotient were lower than allowable limits. For the five most-consumed vegetables in the US, metal contents in conventional produce were slightly greater than organic produce, especially for Cd and Pb. Graphical abstract: Toxic metals in 5 most-consumed vegetables in the US. Image 1 Highlights: Metal concentrations were determined in organic and conventional vegetables. 9 metals included As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ba, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. 5 most-consumed vegetables in US included lettuce, potato, carrot, tomato and onion. Daily metal intake from vegetables was less than the maximum allowed limits. Metal contents in conventional produce were slightly higher than those in organic. Abstract : For the five most-consumed vegetables in the US, metal contents in conventional produce were slightly higher than organic produce.