Trace elements in vegetables and fruits cultivated in Southern Italy

Abstract The levels of trace elements in a variety of fruit and vegetables have been investigated. A total of 161 samples were randomly collected on the field during the proper seasons in Campania region of Southern Italy to be included in this study. The selected agricultural producing area, within the provinces of Naples and Caserta, is well-known for the problem of toxic wastes illegally disposed and buried in its territory, that caused health and food security concerns to the consumers of food cultivated in those lands. Trace element levels were measured by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of this study were used to assess the contributions of fruit and vegetables to the intake of heavy metals and the potential health risk for consumers by estimating the daily intake (EDI). The concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, Tl, U, V and Zn in selected foodstuffs were detected around the following mean values respectively: 0.010- 0.021- 2.81- 2.99- 0.185- 0.143- 2.64 -0.005- 0.003 -0.018- 4.96 mg/kg fresh weight (f.w.). Results showed that in all groups Cu, Mn, Sr, and Zn were the most abundant elements that are more likely to accumulate in nuts with mean value at 5.69 mg/kg f.w., followed by leaf vegetables with mean value at 1.05 mg/kg f.w. and finally fruit with mean value at 0.43 mg/kg f.w. Although these three groups show the highest contribution to the respective intakes, within all the food categories the EDI was below the threshold values for all the analysed elements, indicating that there is not an obvious health risk for the consumption of vegetables cultivated in the selected area.