Roczniki Akademii Rolniczej w Poznaniu CCCLXXXIII (2007) MACIEJ BOSIACKI THE LEAD AND CADMIUM CONTENT IN EDIBLE PARTS OF VEGETABLES SOLD IN THE AREA OF CITY OF POZNAŃ From the Department of Horticultural Plants Nutrition August Cieszkowski Agricultural University of Poznań ABSTRACT. In edible parts of vegetables sold in the area of the city of Poznań, lead and cadmium contents were determined. The lead content in vegetables was large and exceeded the contents acceptable by law. The cadmium content in vegetables was large apart from lettuce and also exceeded the contents acceptable by law. Key words: lead, cadmium, vegetables Introduction Vegetables belong to the most desirable and recommended, by nutritionists and doctors, components of the diet. Recently, when producing vegetables, attention is paid not only to obtaining good crop but also to obtaining crop of appropriate quality. The development of industrial civilisation and the industrialization of agriculture and market gardening gave rise to the problem of the presence of undesirable components in vegetables, in fact pollutants mainly such as lead and cadmium (Szteke 1992). In recent years much attention is paid to the environmental pollution with heavy metals, namely with chemical elements toxic for people and animals (Gorlach 1991). Heavy metals penetrate plants both from soil through the root system, and from the atmosphere through leaves on which rainy water or dusts including metals fall (Rymuszka et al. 1997). One of the parameters of the vegetable quality assessment is the heavy metals content (Breś 1997). The aim of this paper is stating the heavy metals (Pb and Cd) content in edible parts of chosen vegetable species sold in the area of Poznań. Rocz. AR Pozn. CCCLXXXIII, Ogrodn. 41: 427-432 Wydawnictwo Akademii Rolniczej im. Augusta Cieszkowskiego w Poznaniu, Poznań 2007 PL ISSN 0137-1738
428 M. Bosiacki Material and methods The samples of the vegetables were taken at monthly intervals in the period from March to July 2005. For the purpose of the research vegetables with edible leaves (lettuce, cabbage, parsley, leek), roots (carrot, celery, parsley) and fruits (tomato, cucumber) were chosen. Altogether, 270 samples from 9 vegetable species were taken. Those were: lettuce, cabbage, parsley (leaves), leek (120); carrot, celery, parsley (90); tomato, cucumber (60). Material for the research was prepared in the same way as for consumption, that is washing under running water and cleaning. Washed and cleaned vegetables were ground down and dried in winding dryer at the temperature of 55 C. The dried material was ground in the laboratory grinder. From each prepared sample, 2.5 g d.m. of plant material was weighed out and subjected to mineralisation in a muffle furnace at 450 C. After a complete mineralisation the burnt samples were dissolved in a 10% HCl and transferred into flasks of 50 cm 3 capacity. Concentration of the heavy metals was determined by the flame method of atomic absorption, using Zeiss AAS 3 apparatus. The assessment of the level of the vegetable contamination was made basing on the current requirements in Poland stated in the ordinance of Minister of Health. The content of water in fresh vegetable material was indicated. Statistical analyses executed in this paper concerned the analysis of variance of lead and cadmium content in edible parts of the examined vegetable species. Statistical analyses were conducted in Statobl programme analysis of variance, differences between means were estimated with the gravity level α = 0.05. Results and discussion Sznajder and Przywecka (2004) carried out a survey which was supposed to indicate frequency of the particular vegetable species consumption. For a question: Which vegetables are most frequently eaten?, respondents gave the following answers: tomatoes (87%), potatoes (83%), cucumbers (71%), carrots (70%), cabbages (63%), onions (61%), lettuces (49%), parsleys (40%), and leeks (26%). In the vegetable samples taken in the area of Poznań, contents of the examined metals were compared with the acceptable levels established in the ordinance of Minister of Health and Social Care (2003). The admissible levels of metals in the decree were given in a fresh substance, while in the paper concerning the value of the examined heavy metals it was provided in a dry substance. Thus, there appeared the necessity of marking the percentage of water and dry substance in the examined vegetables. After marking the results of the dry substance content were as follows: lettuce 5.5%, cabbage 10%, parsley (leaves) 9%, leek 13%, parsley 15%, carrot 12%, celery 10%, tomato 14%, and cucumber 4%. The average content of Pb (Table 1) amounted from 4.06 mg kg -1 d.m. (vegetables with edible fruits) to 5.66 mg kg -1 d.m. (leaf vegetables). Lettuce contained most lead 7.80 mg kg -1 d.m. (admissible level 5.45 mg kg -1 d.m.), and tomato contained the least 3.66 mg kg -1 d.m. (admissible level 0.71 mg kg -1 d.m.), (Fig. 1). Similar results were obtained by Bosiacki and Tyksiński (2004), who found the smallest content of lead in fruits of tomato, and the largest in lettuce.
The lead and cadmium content in edible parts... 429 Extreme values of lead and cadmium in edible parts of vegetables Wartości skrajne ołowiu i kadmu w częściach jadalnych warzyw Table 1 Group Grupa Vegetables with edible leaves Warzywa, których częścią jadalną są liście Vegetables with edible roots Warzywa, których częścią jadalną są korzenie Species Gatunek Extreme values of Pb (mg kg -1 d.m.) Wartości skrajne Pb (mg kg -1 s.m.) Extreme values of Cd (mg kg -1 d.m.) Wartości skrajne Cd (mg kg -1 s.m.) lattuce sałata 4.11-11.59 1.10-3.98 cabbage kapusta 1.73-7.51 0.68-3.14 parsley (top leaves) pietruszka (nać) 3.20-9.90 0.80-3.58 leek por 2.04-8.17 0.65-3.44 mean średnia 5.66 2.22 carrot marchew 0.35-7.00 0.82-3.26 celery seler 0.27-8.70 0.80-4.73 parsley pietruszka 0.83-6.25 0.49-3.37 mean średnia 4.23 2.01 Vegetables with edible tomato pomidor 0.67-8.63 0.55-3.22 fruits Warzywa, których częścią cucumber ogórek 1.87-7.84 0.66-3.38 jadalną są owoce mean średnia 4.06 1.72 Pb mg kg -1 s.m. d.m. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7.8 c 5.45 4.17 a 3 5.86 b 3.33 4.81 ab 2.3 3.93 a 0.83 4.94 ab LSD 0.05 = 0.884 NIR 0,05 = 0,884 admissible level dopuszczalny poziom 1 3.83 a 0,66 3.66 a 0.71 4.47 ab 2.5 0 LATTUCE CABBAGE SAŁATA KAPUSTA PARSLEY (top leaves) (nać) LEEK POR CARROT CELERY MARCHEW SELER PARSLEY TOMATO (root) POMIDOR (korzeń) CUCUMBER OGÓREK Fig. 1. Average contents and admissible levels of Pb in edible parts of vegetables Ryc. 1. Średnie zawartości oraz dopuszczalne poziomy Pb w częściach jadalnych warzyw
430 M. Bosiacki All average contents in the analysed vegetable species crossed the acceptable lead level (Fig. 1). Gambuś and Wieczorek (1995), Jasiewicz and Zemanek (1998) noted considerable exceeding of the admissible Pb content in the chosen vegetable species. Disparate results were obtained by Breś (1997), Czech and Rubinek (2005), Golcz and Dłubak (1998); in their research vegetables did not contain excessive quantity of lead. In general content of studied samples of the plant material within each species, the crossing of the acceptable lead content was determined in reference to 100% of parsnip samples, 99% of tomato, 94% of carrot, celery, parsley (leaves), 90% of leek, 87% of lettuce, cucumber and 74% of cabbage samples. The average content of Cd (Table 1) were within the range from 1.72 mg kg -1 d.m. (vegetables which edible parts are fruits) to 2.22 mg kg -1 d.m. (leaf vegetables). The greatest average amount of cadmium was found in lettuce 2.64 mg kg -1 d.m. (admissible level 3.63 mg kg -1 d.m.); in celery 2.28 mg kg -1 d.m. (admissible level 2 mg kg -1 d.m.) and in leek 2.25 mg kg -1 d.m. (admissible level 1.53 mg kg -1 d.m.), (Fig. 2). Similar results were obtained by Gambuś and Wieczorek (1995), König (1989). All average contents in the analysed vegetable species, apart from lettuce, crossed the admissible cadmium content. Disparate results were obtained by Tyksiński et al. (1993, 1995), Kędziora (1994), Breś (1997), Czech and Rubinek (2005). Cd mg kg -1 s.m. d.m. 4 3,5 3 2.64 c 2,5 2 1,5 1 0,5 3.63 2.25 bc 2.19 abc2.22 1.98 ab 1.79 ab 1.53 0.5 0.83 LSD 0.05 = 0.313 NIR 0,05 = 0,313 admissible level dopuszczalny poziom 2.28 bc 2 1.78 ab 0.66 1.61 a 0.36 1.84 ab 1.25 0 LATTUCE CABBAGE SAŁATA KAPUSTA PARSLEY (top leaves) (nać) LEEK POR CARROT MARCHEW CELERY SELER PARSLEY (root) (korzeń) TOMATO POMIDOR CUCUMBER OGÓREK Fig. 2. Average contents and admissible levels of Cd in edible parts of vegetables Ryc. 2. Średnie zawartości oraz dopuszczalne poziomy Cd w częściach jadalnych warzyw In general content of studied samples of the plant material within each species, the crossing of the acceptable cadmium content was determined in reference to 100% of tomato samples, of cabbage, 97% of carrot, parsnip, 94% of cucumber, 80% of leek, 64% of celery, 57% of parsley (leaves), 14% of lettuce samples. On basis of analogous researches conducted in the area of Poznań by Tyksińskiego et al. in 1993 and individual researches led in 2005, affirms, that the content of lead and cadmium was higher in own researches (Table 2).
The lead and cadmium content in edible parts... 431 Table 2 The comparison of average contents the lead and cadmium (mg kg -1 d.m.) in individual groups of vegetables in 1993 and 2005 Porównanie średnich zawartości ołowiu i kadmu (mg kg -1 s.m.) w poszczególnych grupach warzyw w latach 1993 i 2005 Group of vegetables Pb Cd Grupa warzyw 1993 * 2005 1993 * 2005 Vegetables with edible leavs Warzywa, których częścią jadalną są liście Vegetables with edible roots Warzywa, których częścią jadalną są korzenie Vegetables with edible fruits Warzywa, których częścią jadalną są owoce 1.43 5.66 0.42 2.22 2.02 4.36 0.51 2.01 1.13 4.06 0.34 1.72 Total Ogółem 1.50 4.65 0.42 1.98 * Tyksiński et al. (1993). * Według: Tyksiński i in. (1993). Conclusions 1. The lead content in vegetables sold in the area of Poznań was large and exceeded the levels acceptable by law. 2. The cadmium content in vegetables sold in the area of Poznań was to a high extent from lettuce and exceeded the levels acceptable by law. 3. In general content of the studied samples of the plant material within each species, acceptable lead level was determined in reference to 100% of parsnip samples, 99% of tomato, 94% of carrot, celery, parsley (leaves), 90% of leek, 87% of lettuce, cucumber and 74% of cabbage samples. 4. In general content of the studied samples of the plant material within each species, acceptable cadmium level was determined in reference to 100% of tomato samples, of cabbage, 97% of carrot, parsnip, 94% of cucumber, 80% of leek, 64% of celery, 57% of parsley (leaves), 14% of lettuce samples. References Bosiacki M., Tyksiński W. (2004): Zawartość ołowiu w wybranych gatunkach warzyw uprawianych w szklarni i pod osłonami. Folia Univ. Agric. Stetin., Agric. 239, 95: 21-26. Breś W. (1997): Metale ciężkie w warzywach uprawianych w ogrodach działkowych w Poznaniu. Rocz. AR Pozn. 304, Ogrodn. 27: 33-37. Czech A., Rubinek E. (2005): Zawartość metali ciężkich oraz azotanów i azotynów w wybranych gatunkach warzyw. Rocz. PZH 56: 229.
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