Assessment of Non-carcinogenic Risk of Nitrate in Agricultural Products

Abbas Alimoradian,Reza Tajik,Rahmatolah Moradzadeh,Mohaddeseh Asafari,Mohammad Jamalian

doi:10.32598/ijt.15.4.784.2

Abbas Alimoradian, Reza Tajik + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.32598/ijt.15.4.784.2

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Abstract

Background: Nitrate content is one of the most critical factors to determine the quality of vegetables, and its permissible limits in food chain is important to the human health. Due to the harmful effects of nitrate, many studies have been conducted on its accumulation in crops in recent years. This study assessed the nitrate concentrations in some edible vegetables and the associated health risks. Methods: In this descriptive study, raw agricultural produce, such as leafy vegetables, tubers, cucurbits, kitchen produce and edible grains were collected in the winter and summer. The samples were then transferred to a laboratory by maintaining the temperature-controlled supply chain. After preparing the samples, the nitrate content was determined in each, using an Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometric (UV/Vis) unit. The data were analyzed statistically on SPSS v. 26. Results: The mean nitrate contents in leafy and kitchen produce, grains, and tuber vegetables were approximately 130, 48, 101, and 61ppm, respectively. The average nitrate content in the winter was around 38ppm and in the summer about 44 ppm. The highest nitrate content was documented in spinach (1100.15 ppm) and the lowest in tomatos (20.97 ppm). Conclusion: The results indicated that the highest nitrate content was found in leafy produce grown in northern Iran. The highest health risk for non-carcinogenic conditions was likely to be linked to the consumption of spinach and other edible vegetables, wheat, rice, and potatoes.

Highlights

N itrate content in vegetables and edible crops is one of the harmful chemicals for human health [1]
The highest nitrate content was documented in spinach (1100.15 ppm) and the lowest in tomatos (20.97 ppm)
The highest health risk for non-carcinogenic conditions was likely to be linked to the consumption of spinach and other edible vegetables, wheat, rice, and potatoes

Summary

Introduction

N itrate content in vegetables and edible crops is one of the harmful chemicals for human health [1]. All edible vegetables contain nitrates in varying amounts, ranging from 1 to 10,000 mg/kg [4, 5]. Depending on the type of vegetables, the nitrate contamination varies based on the nitrogen content in the soil, temperature, sunlight, and other factors [5]. Edible vegetables, such as potatoes, are among the primary sources of dietary nitrate-containing foods and account for 85% of nitrate intake in humans [4, 6, 7]. This study assessed the nitrate concentrations in some edible vegetables and the associated health risks

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