Abstract
Heavy metal pollution is a major threat to agricultural produce and it can pose potential ecological risks which subsequently impacts on human health. Strawberries are an economically important produce of China. The intrinsic link of heavy metal pollution risk in the soil-strawberry ecosystem is of concern. In this study, the pollution index of heavy metal pollutants in farmlands of different provinces were evaluated, and the results showed significantly high levels of cadmium. In addition, Nemerow integrated pollution index analysis showed that low-pollution farmlands only accounted for 14.07% of the total arable land area. Then, the transfer factors were used to calculate the migration of heavy metals from the soil into strawberries. The results showed that cadmium and nickel were relatively high in strawberries from the Guangxi province. Similar results were found for mercury in Jiangxi Province. The pollution index of single food pollution also showed that mercury in strawberries from Jiangxi Province was at a moderate pollution level. The comprehensive pollution index indicated that heavy metal pollution in strawberries in Central China may be severe. In addition, spatial clustering analysis showed that cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic and zinc in strawberries had significant hotspot clustering in central, south and southwest China. Finally, our studies also suggested that the risk of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic diseases was higher in the (2, 4] years age group than in other age groups. People in Yunnan Province were also found to have a higher non-carcinogenic risk than those in other provinces and cities in China. This study provides a comprehensive view of the potential risks of heavy metal contamination in strawberries, which could provide assistance in the design of regulatory and risk management programs for chemical pollutants in strawberries, thus ensuring the safety of consumption of these edible fruits.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
