Impact of Cu concentrations in nutrient solution on growth and physiological and biochemical parameters of beet and cabbage and human health risk assessment

Abstract Excess copper (Cu) in plant tissue may cause toxicity and pose a risk to human health. However, this is still not well known in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cu concentrations in nutrient solution on growth, physiological and biochemical parameters in beets and cabbages, in addition to human health risk assessment. Beets and cabbages were grown for 90 days in pots with sand and fertigated with nutrient solution containing five Cu concentrations (0.02, 0.27, 0.52, 0.77 and 1.02 mg L−1). Growth, physiological and biochemical parameters were evaluated in leaves, in addition to Cu contents and accumulation in organs of both species. We estimated the average portion intake of Cu (APICu) and the hazard quotient (HQ) associated with the consumption of beet tuberous root and cabbage head. Increasing Cu in solution reduced beet growth and increased Cu content and accumulation in organs of beet and cabbage, resulting in an increase in APICu and HQ. This highlights potential risks to human health, which are proportional to intake of in natura beet tuberous root and cabbage head.