Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of heavy metal pollution in vegetables and relationships with soil heavy metal distribution in Zhejiang province, China

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There are increasing concerns on heavy metal contaminant in soils and vegetables. In this study, we investigated heavy metal pollution in vegetables and the corresponding soils in the main vegetable production regions of Zhejiang province, China. A total of 97 vegetable samples and 202 agricultural soil samples were analyzed for the concentrations of Cd, Pb, As, Hg, and Cr. The average levels of Cd, Pb, and Cr in vegetable samples [Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris spp. Pekinensis), pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.), celery (Apium graveolens), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), cucumber (Colletotrichum lagenarium), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.), and eggplant (Solanum melongena)] were 0.020, 0.048, and 0.043 mg kg−1, respectively. The Pb and Cr concentrations in all vegetable samples were below the threshold levels of the Food Quality Standard (0.3 and 0.5 mg kg−1, respectively), except that two eggplant samples exceeded the threshold levels for Cd concentrations (0.05 mg kg−1). As and Hg contents in vegetables were below the detection level (0.005 and 0.002 mg kg−1, respectively). Soil pollution conditions were assessed in accordance with the Chinese Soil Quality Criterion (GB15618-1995, Grade II); 50 and 68 soil samples from the investigated area exceeded the maximum allowable contents for Cd and Hg, respectively. Simple correlation analysis revealed that there were significantly positive correlations between the metal concentrations in vegetables and the corresponding soils, especially for the leafy and stem vegetables such as pakchoi, cabbage, and celery. Bio-concentration factor values for Cd are higher than those for Pb and Cr, which indicates that Cd is more readily absorbed by vegetables than Pb and Cr. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the possible pollution of heavy metals in vegetables, especially Cd.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adriano, D.C. (2001). Trace elements in terrestrial environments: Biogeochemistry, bioavailability, and risks of metals. Springer.

  • Alexander, P., Alloway, B., & Dourado, A. (2006). Genotypic variations in the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn exhibited by six commonly grown vegetables. Environmental Pollution, 144, 736–745.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alloway, B., Zhang, P., Mott, C., Nicholson, F., Chambers, B., Smith, S., & Carlton-Smith, C. (1999). Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals onto agricultural land in England and Wales. In: Wenzel, W.W., Adriano, D.C., Alloway, B.J., et al. (Eds.). Fifth international conference on the biogeochemistry of trace metals. Vienna, Austria.

  • Berthelsen, B., Steinnes, E., Solberg, W., & Jingsen, L. (1995). Heavy metal concentrations in plants in relation to atmospheric heavy metal deposition. Journal of Environmental Quality, 24, 1018–1026.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, H., Zheng, C., Tu, C., & Zhu, Y. (1999). Heavy metal pollution in soils in China: status and countermeasures. Ambio, 28, 130–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cui, Y. J., Zhu, Y. G., Zhai, R. H., Chen, D. Y., Huang, Y. Z., Qiu, Y., & Liang, J. Z. (2004). Transfer of metals from soil to vegetables in an area near a smelter in Nanning, China. Environment International, 30, 785–791.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, B. E., & White, H. M. (1981). Trace elements in vegetables grown on soils contaminated by base metal mining. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 3, 387–396.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, J., Zhou, Q., Liu, J., Liu, W., Wang, T., Zhang, Q., & Jiang, G. (2008). High levels of heavy metals in rice (Oryza sativa L.) from a typical E-waste recycling area in southeast China and its potential risk to human health. Chemosphere, 71, 1269–1275.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, Z., Wu, F., Mo, C., Liu, B., Zhu, J., Deng, Q., Liao, H., & Zhang, Y. (2011). Bioaccumulation of antimony, arsenic, and mercury in the vicinities of a large antimony mine, China. Microchemical Journal, 97, 12–19.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, C. W., McLaren, R. G., & Roberts, A. H. (2003). Atmospheric accessions of heavy metals to some New Zealand pastoral soils. Science of the Total Environment, 305, 105–115.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, N., Khan, D. K., & Santra, S. C. (2008). An assessment of heavy metal contamination in vegetables grown in wastewater-irrigated areas of Titagarh, West Bengal, India. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 80, 115–118.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao, X. Z., Zhou, D. M., Huang, D. Q., Cang, L., Zhang, H. L., & Wang, H. (2009). Heavy metal transfer from soil to vegetable in southern Jiangsu province, China. Pedosphere, 19, 305–311.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hashmi, D. R., Ismail, S., & Shaikh, G. (2007). Assessment of the level of trace metals in commonly edible vegetables locally available in the markets of Karachi City. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 39, 747–751.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez, L., Probst, A., Probst, J. L., & Ulrich, E. (2003). Heavy metal distribution in some French forest soils: evidence for atmospheric contamination. Science of the Total Environment, 312, 195–219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, S., Liao, Q., Hua, M., Wu, X., Bi, K., Yan, C., Chen, B., & Zhang, X. (2007). Survey of heavy metal pollution and assessment of agricultural soil in Yangzhong district, Jiangsu province, China. Chemosphere, 67, 2148–2155.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Z., Pan, X. D., Wu, P. G., Han, J. L., & Chen, Q. (2014). Heavy metals in vegetables and the health risk to population in Zhejiang, China. Food Control, 36, 248–252.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, G. B., Shi, J. B., & Feng, X. B. (2006). Mercury pollution in China. Environmental Science & Technology, 40, 3672–3678.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, S., Cao, Q., Zheng, Y. M., Huang, Y. Z., & Zhu, Y. G. (2008). Health risks of heavy metals in contaminated soils and food crops irrigated with wastewater in Beijing, China. Environmental Pollution, 152, 686–692.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kozuh, N., Tupar, J., & Gorenc, B. (2000). Reduction and oxidation processes of chromium in soils. Environmental Science & Technology, 34, 112–119.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti, G. S., & Naidu, R. (2002). Solid–solution speciation and phytoavailability of copper and zinc in soils. Environmental Science & Technology, 36, 2645–2651.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lasat, M. M. (2002). Phytoextraction of toxic metals. Journal of Environmental Quality, 31, 109–120.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X., Wu, J., & Xu, J. (2006). Characterizing the risk assessment of heavy metals and sampling uncertainty analysis in paddy field by geostatistics and GIS. Environmental Pollution, 141, 257–264.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo, C., Liu, C., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Li, F., Zhang, G., & Li, X. (2011). Heavy metal contamination in soils and vegetables near an e-waste processing site, south China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 186, 481–490.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGrath, S., & Smith, S. (1995). Chromium and nickel. Heavy Metals Soils, 7, 152–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Environmental Protection Agency of China. (1995). Environmental quality standard for soils (GB 15618-1995).

  • National Health Agency of China. (2012). Maximum levels of contaminants in foods (GB2762-2012).

  • Robson, M. (2003). Methodologies for assessing exposures to metals: human host factors. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 56, 104–109.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samsoe-Petersen, L., Larsen, E. H., Larsen, P. B., & Bruun, P. (2002). Uptake of trace elements and PAHs by fruit and vegetables from contaminated soils. Environmental Science & Technology, 36, 3057–3063.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shentu, J. L., He, Z. L., Yang, X. E., & Li, T. Q. (2008). Accumulation properties of cadmium in a selected vegetable-rotation system of southeastern China. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56, 6382–6388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shewry, P., & Peterson, P. (1976). Distribution of chromium and nickel in plants and soil from serpentine and other sites. J Ecol, 64, 195–212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Storer, D. A. (1984). A simple high sample volume ashing procedure for determination of soil organic matter. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal, 15, 759–772.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, X., Shen, C., Shi, D., Cheema, S. A., Khan, M. I., Zhang, C., & Chen, Y. (2010). Heavy metal and persistent organic compound contamination in soil from Wenling: an emerging e-waste recycling city in Taizhou area, China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 173, 653–660.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vaselli, O., Buccianti, A., De Siena, C., Bini, C., Coradossi, N., & Angelone, M. (1997). Geochemical characterization of ophiolitic soils in a temperate climate: a multivariate statistical approach. Geoderma, 75, 117–133.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Voutsa, D., Grimanis, A., & Samara, C. (1996). Trace elements in vegetables grown in an industrial area in relation to soil and air particulate matter. Environmental Pollution, 94, 325–335.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, L. X., Guo, Z. H., Xiao, X. Y., Chen, T. B., Liao, X. Y., Song, J., & Wu, B. (2008). Heavy metal pollution of soils and vegetables in the midstream and downstream of the Xiangjiang River, Hunan province. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 18, 353–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X., Shan, X., Zhang, S., & Wen, B. (2004). A model for evaluation of the phytoavailability of trace elements to vegetables under the field conditions. Chemosphere, 55, 811–822.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X. L., Sato, T., Xing, B. S., & Tao, S. (2005). Health risks of heavy metals to the general public in Tianjin, China via consumption of vegetables and fish. Science of the Total Environment, 350, 28–37.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wong, S., Li, X., Zhang, G., Qi, S., & Min, Y. (2002). Heavy metals in agricultural soils of the Pearl River Delta, South China. Environmental Pollution, 119, 33–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue, Y., Shen, Z., & Zhou, D. (2005). Difference in heavy metal uptake between various vegetables and its mechanism. Soils, 37, 32–36 (in Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Z., Cheng, H., Xi, X., & Liu, A. (2005). Regional ecological geochemical assessment: ideas and prospects. Geol Bull China, 24, 689–696.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of China (Grant No. 2011R19A24C11) and Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Grant No. 2011R19Y01E02).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang Province Key Lab for Food Safety, Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China

    Xuezhu Ye, Wendan Xiao, Yongzhi Zhang, Shouping Zhao, Gangjun Wang, Qi Zhang & Qiang Wang

Authors
  1. Xuezhu Ye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wendan Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yongzhi Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shouping Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gangjun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Qi Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Qiang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qiang Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ye, X., Xiao, W., Zhang, Y. et al. Assessment of heavy metal pollution in vegetables and relationships with soil heavy metal distribution in Zhejiang province, China. Environ Monit Assess 187, 378 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4604-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4604-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation