Estimating the Health Risk of Heavy Metals in Edible Plants to the General Population in Sarajevo, B&H

Abstract

The heavy metals such as Zn, Co, Fe, Se, As, Cd and Pb in the samples of different edible plants: Allium porrum, Cucurbita maxima, Asparagus officinalis, Brassica oleracea var. Sabauda, Beta vulgaris, Brassica oleracea var. Acephala, Solanum lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme, Cynara scolymus, Brassica rapa subsp. Rapa, Beta vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris, Atriplex hortensis, Brassica oleracea Gongylodes, Brassica oleracea var. Italica, Phoenix dactylifera, Aronia melanocarpa, Prunus cerasus, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus idaeus, Prunus domestica, Vitis vinifera cvs, Cardinal Ficus, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vitis vinifera, Mespilus germanica, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Prunus domestica, Foeniculum vulgare bought from bosnian market were determined by using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (F-AAS). The study results showed that the contents of the most toxic heavy metals Cd and As were ˂0,001 mg/L in all investigated plant samples. Other heavy metals were detected in analyzed plant material. The values of heavy metal accumulation in edible plants were used to calculate the estimated daily intake of metals (EDI), target hazard quotients (THQ) and hazard index (HI). The THQ was lower than 1 for all age groups, indicating that it was still safe for the general population of Sarajevo to consume edible plants, fruits and vegetables offered in market places.