Pollution status and health risk caused by heavy elements in the flooded soil and vegetables from typical agricultural region in Vojvodina Province, Serbia

Breaking the myth of healthy food production in rural areas: cases studied in Vojvodina Province (Serbia)

The aim of the present study was to analyze the chemical composition of parsley, parsnip, carrot, and celeriac cultivated at different localities (urban, or suburban/village). The concentrations of heavy metals (cadmium, nickel, chromium) and essential elements (potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus) in edible plant parts were determined. Human health risks associated with chronic consumption of potentially contaminated vegetables were assessed through the use of hazard quotients. The concentrations of heavy metals and essential elements in the edible parts of the tested plants varied among plant species, cultivation locality and plant organ (leaf/root). Carrots showed the lowest levels of cadmium, nickel, and chromium accumulation, while the highest concentrations were measured for parsley leaves, with respect to average values. Metal pollution index values obtained for cities were lower than those obtained for some villages and a suburban settlement. The hazard quotient revealed the highest values for cadmium. Positive Pearson's correlation between chromium and nickel was found in many cases. Principal component analysis indicated differences in plants ability to accumulate certain nutrients and pollutants, while sample diversification was closely related to growth site properties. We sincerely hope that the present study will inspire similar investigations in other developing countries, as well as in the Western Balkans region, to obtain broader insight into vegetable food safety and local human health risk. Considering that food quality and safety are major concerns, our results should inform the relevant government authorities and provide a foundation for implementation of a system of controls over cultivation processes and vegetable quality in Serbia.

Heavy element contents of vegetables and health-risk assessment in China

This study analyzed five heavy elements (HEs), including cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As), in fresh vegetables (i.e., legume, rhizome and potato, gourd, bulb, solanaceous fruit, leafy, and brassica; total: 7214) collected from 31 provinces in China from 2016 to the first half of 2017. By analyzing the concentration level of the five HEs in seven regions (the Northeast, North China, East China, South China, Central China, the Northwest, and the Southwest), except for As, average HEs concentrations were higher in the Southwest than that in the other six regions. According to the maximum permissible limit (MPL), the highest rate of HEs concentration above the MPL was found in the Southwest (11.038%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed varying degrees of variability between regions and categories. By using principal component analysis (PCA), it was found that two principal components account for 73.79% of the total variance in the data. Together with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), concluded that Tibet was significantly different from the other 30 provinces. By calculating estimated daily intake (EDI) and the target hazard quotient (THQ), the EDI of Cr in the Southwest was the highest, with results of 1.2119 μg/kg/day for children and 0.8073 μg/kg/day for adults. North China had the highest total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) for HEs in vegetables ingested by children, with a result of 0.933.

Comprehensive assessment of heavy elements and evaluation of potential human health risk in the urban environment: a case study from Novi Sad, Serbia

This study aimed to determine seasonal (summer vs. winter) and spatial distribution of the selected heavy elements (HEs) (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb) in soil samples collected from a typical Central European town, Novi Sad, Serbia. The highest Pb concentrations were observed in summer because of intensive ground-flushing, whereas Cu had its highest concentration in winter, which may be attributed to traffic emissions. Source characterization and spatial distribution were carried out using cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), variogram calculation and theoretical model fitting, GIS-based geostatistical methods, and positive matrix factorization (PMF) data processing tools. Environmental impact of HEs found in different functional areas demonstrated that the quantified concentrations of Pb, As, Co, and Cu ranked soil as unpolluted to moderately polluted, while the presence of Co, Ni, and Cr classified urban soil as moderately polluted. Pollution load index (PLI) suggested a significant HEs enrichment while the new modified approach to Nemerow integrated risk index (NIRI) indicated high risk, being extreme for some selected locations. Machine learning classifiers were used for the first time to identify the differences between urban soil and dust samples in situations when simultaneous analysis of both matrices was carried out, as well as for temporal distribution (summer versus winter), based on the obtained concentration of HEs. Variogram calculation suggested that the pattern in spatial variability within the system emerged from the combined action of key structural factors (e.g., the parent soil material, landforms and topography, and climate) and random factors related to human activities. The estimated human health risk for two segments of the population revealed that ingestion is the primary route of exposure to HEs for children and adults.

The Content and Toxicological Risk Assessment of Trace Elemental Impurities (Pb and Cr) in Snacks from Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria

The monitoring of food contamination by trace elemental impurities (TEIs) are major health challenges in developing countries. The present study evaluated the content and toxicological risk assessment of TEIs in commonly consumed snack/junk foods from Ogun State, Nigeria. TEIs (Pb and Cr) were determined in sixty snack food samples purchased from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. The TEIs were analysed in quadruplicates using atomic absorption spectrometry with flame atomization. TEI data were subjected to simple descriptive and inferential statistics. The toxicological risk assessment of TEIs was evaluated for hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI) and cancer risk (CR) using the United States Environmental Protection Agency-Integrated Risk Information System (USEPA-IRIS) model. Data showed the varying Pb levels of 8.22 ± 1.57 mg/kg in sausage to 12.25 ± 4.27 mg/kg in cocoyam chips higher than the permissible limit of the Codex Alimentarius of the Joint World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. The toxicological risk assessment revealed the HQs greater than 1.0 for Pb and Cr in most snack foods consumed by adults and children, indicating adverse health problems. The CRs of Pb (children) and Cr (adults and children) also breached the acceptable limit of 1.0 × 10^-4, signifying possible lifetime development of cancer. It is therefore necessary to periodically monitor the TEIs in snacks to protect the public health.

Environmental Fate of Trace Elements in Depositional Sediments after Flashflood Events: The Case of Mandra Town in Greece

Flash floods are one of the harshest natural hazards, having a wide range of substantial impacts for human and environmental health in the short-term and long-term. On 15 November 2017, a high-intensity storm caused a catastrophic flash flood event in the town of Mandra, a western, outer suburb of the Athens Metropolitan Area in Greece. In this study, we determine the aqua regia extractable concentrations of trace elements in residual sediments and associated soils after the flash flood and evaluate the fractionation of contaminants in geochemical compartments. Geochemical data are coupled with physicochemical parameter measurements and mineralogy to identify possible factors explaining the variability of trace element concentrations, while a dilute acid extraction is used to monitor changes of the reactive fraction of the trace elements over the term of 1 year following the flood event. Aqua regia concentrations in flood-deposited sediments reached values of 1 mg/kg (Cd), 24 mg/kg (Co), 183 mg/kg (Cr), 599mg/kg (Cu), 1080 mg/kg (Mn), 195 mg/kg (Ni), 122 mg/kg (Pb) and 945 mg/kg (Zn). Multivariate statistical techniques classified the elements according to their natural or anthropogenic origin. Trace elements of geogenic origin (As, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni) dominate in flood deposited material. The cluster of anthropogenic elements (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn,) shows significant correlation with total organic carbon and magnetic susceptibility, while a significant seasonal variation has been observed for total organic carbon, Cd and Mn contents in the deposited sediments. Results allow a better understanding of the distribution of elements in the surface cover during and after catastrophic events in urban areas and provide useful information on the long-term exposure of the residents.

Sustainability of Serbian Villages in COVID-19 Pandemic Conditions

The subject of this paper is to determine how the COVID-19 virus pandemic affected the situation in Serbian villages. The task of the paper is to show the positive and negative consequences that resulted from the pandemic. This would indicate that some of them may represent a new idea, a chance, or would work in favor of the sustainability of the villages of Serbia. In support of objectivity, research was carried out among the population that inhabits the rural areas of Serbia. It examined the extent to which internationally recognized phenomena and consequences of the COVID-19 virus pandemic were present in the study area and considered the nature of their impact on sustainability. The results of the semi-structured questionnaire were processed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Respondents contributed to the conception of possible solutions with their comments. The obtained differences in the answers resulted from different socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, but also from the fact that the villages of Serbia differ in natural and social characteristics. Respondents’ responses are in favor of economic and sociodemographic sustainability, but they do not think in terms of environmental sustainability. The paper reveals several development opportunities, which complement each other and contribute to different methods for sustainability of rural villages in Serbia.

Roots of Apium graveolens and Petroselinum crispum-Insight into Phenolic Status against Toxicity Level of Trace Elements

Celery (Appium graveolens L.) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss) are herbs utilized in the everyday diet as spices and culinary flavorings, often used in the chemical and medicinal industries. Despite the knowing benefits of different plants from the Apiaceae family, their chemical composition is closely associated with various extrinsic factors. Environmental loading with trace elements (TEs) can modify a plant's metabolic pathways, change bioactive compounds production, cause plant pollution, and consequently provoke human health issues. Therefore, we established this research aiming to unravel the linkage between TEs accumulation and phenolic status in celery and parsley. Higher As, Cd, and Ni levels were observed in celery, which was followed by greater DPPH^∙ radical scavenging activity and higher coumarins content. Contrary, parsley accumulated chromium to a greater extent, was richer in flavonoids, apigenin, and its glucosides. No significant difference between species was found in total phenolic contents, where ferulic and chlorogenic acid dominated in both species. A direct relationship between TEs and selected secondary metabolites was proven by the standardized major axis model. Besides abundant bioactive compounds, analyzed plant species showed a moderate hazard index in the children population, since the hazard index was higher than 1. Therefore, future perspectives should be turned towards the production of genotypes with a lower potential for toxic elements accumulation, so the health benefits of plant food will be more prominent.