Abstract
Capsicum chili peppers are popular vegetables in Slovakia. They provide a supply of health-promoting substances, but contaminated vegetables can pose a serious health risk to the people who consume them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the content of heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb and Hg) in the soil as well as in selected varieties of the genus Capsicum grown in southern Slovakia. The results were compared with the limit values given by the Law no. 220/2004 (valid in the SR) as well as threshold values proposed by the European Commission (EC) (2006). The gained result showed that the total content of Cd (1.64 mg/kg) as well as the available mobile forms of Cd (0.12 mg/kg) and Pb (0.26 mg/kg) was exceeded on the soil on which Capsicum cultivars were grown. The limit values of other monitored heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Hg) were not exceeded. The studied species of the genus Capsicum did not accumulate monitored heavy metals. It can be stated that consumption of chili peppers does not pose any risk for human health.
Highlights
Soil contamination with heavy metals has increased over the last few decades due to the burning of fossil fuels, municipal waste disposal, mining and smelting, as well as the application of pesticides, fertilizers and wastewater [1], including protected areas [2]
We used the following parameters to evaluate the contamination of the soil where the monitored chili pepper varieties were grown: The contamination factor contamination factors (Cif) is a quantification of the degree of contamination relative to either average crustal composition of a respective metal or to the measured background values from geologically similar and uncontaminated area [54]
Limit value according to the Food Codex of the Slovak Republic, maximal level according to Commission Regulation 1881/2006(EC), PMTDI—provisional maximum tolerable daily intake according to WHO, PTMI—provisional tolerable monthly intake according to WHO, provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI)—provisional tolerably weekly intake according to WHO
Summary
Soil contamination with heavy metals has increased over the last few decades due to the burning of fossil fuels, municipal waste disposal, mining and smelting, as well as the application of pesticides, fertilizers and wastewater [1], including protected areas [2]. The accumulation of heavy metals in the human body can lead to organ toxicity; they can especially have an effect on the gastrointestinal tract, and on the nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems [10,11]. The Hg2+ form of mercury plays a key role in the toxicology of this metal High levels of this form have strong phytotoxic effects when present in toxic concentrations, they can cause visible injuries and physiological disorders in cells, which cause the production of ROS (reactive oxygen species), which in turn leads to cell disruption. Due to the high worldwide consumption of various species of the genus Capsicum as well as the use of capsaicin as a food additive and its current medical use, the monitoring and evaluation of toxic substances such as heavy metal accumulation in selected varieties of Capsicum is very important [43]. Fine soil II (0.125 mm) was used to determine the heavy metal content
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