Heavy Metal Contamination of Vegetables

In India, several (>50) vegetables are widely used as food due to their high nutrition values. However, vegetables in industrial area are getting contaminated with heavy metals by disturbing biological and biochemical processes in the human body. In present study, the risk of human health by heavy metals (Fe, As, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Hg) through the intake of common vegetables i.e. Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena, Amaranthus tricolor L., Chenopodium album L., Spinacia oleracea and Coriandrum sativum obtained from the largest coal burning basin, Korba, India is described . The concentration of Fe, As, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg in the soils (n = 6) was ranged from 18,328 - 37,980, 85 - 105, 34 - 72, 314 - 760, 146 - 165, 126 - 164, 1.11 - 1.39, 116 - 148 and 0.11 - 0.21 mg/kg with mean value (p = 0.05) of 28,011 ± 6582, 96 ± 6, 57 ± 11, 597 ± 148, 153 ± 5, 145 ± 11, 1.26 ± 0.10, 133 ± 11 and 0.16 ± 0.03 mg/kg, respectively. The contamination, sources and bioaccumulation, pollution and health risk indices of the heavy metals i.e. As, Fe, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Hg in the plants are described.

Proximate and Elemental Composition of Important Fish Species in Makkah Central Fish Market, Saudi Arabia

In spite of the established nutritive value of seafood, fishes have a special ability to store some toxic substances such as heavy metals because of its own respiration system. The goal of current study was to explore the proximate chemical composition, minerals content and levels of heavy metals in edible portions of some important commercial fish species available at Makkah Central Fish Market, Saudi Arabia. The obtained results showed that Indian oil sardine fish had the highest value of crude oil (dry weight) recorded 38.00%, while, rusty parrot fish sample had the least of 1.17%. In contrast, rusty parrot fish had the highest value of crude protein represented 90.75% (dry weight), meanwhile, Indian oil sardine had the least of 54.19%. Consuming about 250 g of Indian oil sardine will cover 100% of Fe RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances), eating 500 g of the same fish will cover about 30% of Ca RDA. While, 500 g of gilt head bream which has the highest content of K, Na and Mg will cover about 11.7%, 1.5% and 4.1% of these minerals RDA, respectively. As physical hazards, fourteen samples from the thirty three studied samples exceeded the permissible limit of Pb and Cd representing about 42%. Therefore, it is strongly recommended not to eat head, gills or viscera of all fishes.

Distribution and assessment of heavy metals in the surface sediment of Yellow River, China

Large amounts of heavy metals discharged by industrial cities that are located along the middle reach of Yellow River, China have detrimental impacts on both the ecological environment and human health. In this study, fourteen surface sediment samples were taken in the middle reach of the Yellow River. Contents of Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, As were measured, and the pollution status was assessed using three widely used pollution assessment methods, including the single factor index method, Nemerow pollution index method and potential ecological risk index. The concentrations of the studied heavy metals followed the order： Zn 〉 Cr 〉 Cu 〉 Ni 〉 Pb 〉 As 〉 Cd. Nearly 50% of sites had Cu and Cr accumulation. The concentration of Cu at the Yiluo River exceeded the secondary standard value of the Environmental quality standard for soils. Comparison of heavy metal concentrations between this study and other selected rivers indicated that Cu and Cr may be the major pollutants in our case. The single factor index indicated that many samples were at high levels of pollution for Cu and Cd; the Nemerow pollution index indicated that the Yihe River, Luohe River, Yiluo River and Huayuankou were polluted. According to the results of potential ecological risk assessment, Cd in the tributaries of Luo River, Yihe River,and Yiluo River showed high risk toward the ecosystem and human health, Cd in Huanyuankou and Cu in Yiluo River showed a middle level of risk and other samples were at a low level of risk.