Radish Samples Research Articles

Primary and secondary amines in the human environment

Altogether 40 primary and secondary amines with different gas-chromatographic properties have been detected in samples of fresh vegetables, preserves, mixed pickles, fish and fish products, bread, cheese, stimulants, animal feedstuffs and surface waters, and 21 of these have been identified by mass spectrometry. Secondary amines, the precursors for the carcinogenic N-nitrosamines were generally found in concentrations below 10 ppm, although higher concentrations occurred in herring preparations, some cheese and samples of large radish and red radish. Besides dimethylamine and diethylamine, the most prevalent secondary amines were found to be pyrrolidine, piperidine, N-methylbenzylamine, N-methylaniline and N-methylphenethylamine, the latter apparently being the most widespread in foods of plant origin. The highest content of secondary amines found so far was in red radishes (38 ppm pyrrolidine, 20 ppm pyrroline 5·4 ppm N-methylphenethylamine and 1·1 ppm dimethylamine). Concentrations of secondary amines found in surface waters have generally been below 15 ppb (15 μg/kg).

Heavy metals in soils and radish in a mineralised limestone area of Wales, Great Britain

Halkyn Mountain, Clwyd, Wales is a limestone area containing lead and zinc ores which were mined until quite recently. A survey of agricultural soils has revealed extensive contamination by cadmium, lead and zinc and, to a lesser extent, by copper. Gardens in the area are also similarly contaminated and the composition of radish grown in the gardens reflects this metal enrichment. Soil levels for both total and plant-available cadmium and lead are unusually high and some radish samples exceeded the statutory limit for lead in food.