Hygienic assessment of the trace elements content in crop production in an industrially developed region

Abstract

Introduction. Agricultural crops grown on garden plots are mainly used for personal consumption, are not subject to safety control, and therefore, the chemical composition of the produced crop products may significantly affect the accumulation or deficiency of chemical elements in the human body. Material and methods. To assess the chemical composition of the main products of plant origin produced in the regions of the Republic of Bashkortostan with different economic specialization, the content of 9 trace elements in carrots, table beets and potatoes was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (n = 353). Using the total coefficient of anthropogenic load (Ka.n. = ∑Ci/PDUi), the territory of the Republic was ranked according to the degree of contamination of vegetable crops with toxic elements (lead, cadmium). The influence of trace elements contained in crop products on the health of the region’s population was studied using the risk assessment method. Results. Vegetables with a high content of cadmium (10.8% of the analyzed samples) occupy the largest share in the total volume of crop production that does not meet hygiene standards. When ranking the territory of the Republic on the basis of health risk assessment and the degree of contamination of vegetable crops with toxic elements, territories with a developed mining and petrochemical industry were found to be most unfavorable zones. Conclusion. The content of chemical elements in vegetable crops produced on household plots varies in a wide range, depending on the type of plant products and the place of growth. The lack of standards for the permissible content of certain trace elements in food raw materials and food products, which are priority pollutants in a number of regions, and safety control of products produced in private farms increase the risk of consumption of contaminated products by the population.