Abstract
The upper Orava region is located at the North Slovakia, near of potential sources of environmental contamination due by mining of coal, zinc and lead ores. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of consumption of wild forest fruit from Upper Orava region from the aspect of cadmium content. Ten sampling points were found by random search. From these points samples of soil, leaves and fruits of wild berries (9 samples of blueberries Vaccinium Myrtillus and 1 sample of strawberries Fragaria Vesca) were collected. In soil samples the active soil reaction (pH/H2O) ranged from 3.53 (strong acidity) to 4.56 (extremly strong acidity), and the determined percentage of humus ranged from 1.66 (low humic soil) to 4.90 (high humic soil). In two soil samples the total content of cadmium determinated in soil extracts by aqua regia exceeded limit 0.70 mg.kg-1 given by the legislation in tne Slovak Republic. In three soil samples the determined content of cadmium mobile forms determined in soil extracts by NH4NO3 exceeded the limit 0.10 mg.kg-1. The content of Cd determined in leaves as well as in fruits was evaluated according to Food Codex of the Slovak Republic. Only in one sample of leaf samples the limit 1.00 mg.kg-1 was exceeded. The other leaf samples are safely when used as an ingredient in tea mixtures. On the other hand even in 7 fruit samples the limit 0.05 mg.kg-1 was exceeded. This fruit can pose a risk for the human organism when is directly consumed as well as may negatively affect the human health when is used as raw materials in the food industry.
Highlights
IntroductionIn South Poland, close to the Silesia-Cracow region, seven of twenty-seven ecological hazardous areas of Poland are located
The upper Orava region is located on the North Slovakia, surrounded by Orava reservoir, near South Poland border.In South Poland, close to the Silesia-Cracow region, seven of twenty-seven ecological hazardous areas of Poland are located
% of humus in soil samples was in range 1.66 to 4.90, data are available in Fanrong (2011) reported a positive correlation between organic mater content and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil
Summary
In South Poland, close to the Silesia-Cracow region, seven of twenty-seven ecological hazardous areas of Poland are located. A considerable set of data is available on the air pollution in the city of Cracow and the whole area of Katowice voivodship (Godzik, 1993). These two towns are from the investigated area 120 km respectively 140 km far. The air pollution caused by long-distance transfer from these industrial centres can be a potencial source of contamination by heavy metals in the environment of the Upper Orava region. Soils contaminated with heavy metals cause many environmental and human health problems calling for an effective technological solution. Many sites around the world remain contaminated because it is expensive to clean them up by available technologies
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