Abstract
Application of mineral fertilizers such as Nitrate or urea derivatives to crops is an essential agricultural step for fruits and vegetable production. This step may lead to accumulation of Nitrate levels in fruit and vegetables creating health risks such as cancer. This study aimed to determine nitrate residues in beard, fruits, vegetable and water samples collected from different locations and to correlate them with potential cancer cases in Gaza. Results showed elevated levels of Nitrate in some breads samples and all fruits, vegetable and water samples. This suggests high potential risk of population to cancer cases. So far, the growing incidence of cancer cases in Gaza strip may be attributed to high level of nitrate contents in bread, fruits, vegetable and water samples. It is recommended to exclude nitrate fertilization from agricultural process or replace it with other N-fertilizer source.
Highlights
Contamination of food is a worldwide problem
The author of this study focused his efforts on nitrate determination in beard, fruits and vegetables for the possibility to respond to the growing concern of public about nitrate residues in food samples
It is obvious that nitrate levels in all bread samples are below 20 mg/kg except bread from Gaza-Y has Nitrate level above 60 mg/kg
Summary
Contamination of food is a worldwide problem. Contamination of food may occur directly on the field throughout agricultural steps such as pesticide and fertilizers application, indirectly throughout postharvest applications of preservatives and/or throughout processing steps. Food contamination can be subdivided into three main categories: 1) organic contamination of food, which includes pesticide residues, antibiotics, preservatives; 2) inorganic contamination such as heavy metals, nitrates, phosphates and; 3) organometallic contaminations. Organic contamination of food samples with pesticides has intensively. This included determination of dioxins, dibenzofurans and poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human human milk and food [1] [2] pesticide residues in cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries, green pepper, potatoes, Vicia faba, green bean and green peas [3]-[8], leachate of solid wastes [9] [10], herbicide residues in water [11]-[23]
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