An investigation on the lead and cadmium content in vegetables and irrigating water in some farms in Gorgan, Iran

Abstract

Aims: The objective of this study is to investigate the levels of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the vegetables from the farms of Gorgan, Iran, and compare them with the permissible levels proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) standard. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 40 samples of irrigating water and vegetables were collected, between the periods of August and December 2008. The Polarography apparatus was used to determine the amount of cadmium and lead after sample preparation. The level of significance was set at 5% for all the tests Result: The cadmium concentrations in spinach, garden cress, and radish were 0, 0.085, and 1.56 μg.kg -1 , respectively. The lead concentrations in spinach, garden cress, and Radish were 51.21, 40.13, and 87.27 μg.kg -1 , respectively. The cadmium concentration in irrigating water was not detectable with the Polarography apparatus. However, the lead concentration in water was 26.75 μg.kg -1. There was no significant variation between the cadmium levels in spinach and garden cress (P<0.05), while there was a significant difference between the amount of cadmium in radish and spinach and garden cress (P<0.05).Conclusion: All the vegetables and water contained Pb, although Cd was lower than the permissible levels proposed by FAO/WHO and might not cause health hazards to consumers.