scholarly journals Assessment of the pollution levels of potential toxic elements in urban vegetable gardens in southwest China

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianing Gao ◽  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Ram Proshad ◽  
Ernest Uwiringiyimana ◽  
Zifa Wang
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Pollution Indices ◽  
Potential Toxic Elements ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Vegetable Gardens

AbstractVegetable gardens are increasingly common in urban areas and can provide numerous societal benefits; however, contamination with potential toxic elements (PTEs) due to urbanization and industrialization is cause for concern. The present study aimed to assess the source of contamination and pollution levels in urban garden soils, as well as the health risks for adults and children consuming vegetables grown in such environments. Various types of vegetable samples and their corresponding soils from 26 community gardens were collected throughout Chengdu City in southwestern China. The results showed that leafy vegetables, particularly lettuce leaves and Chinese cabbage, had relatively higher levels of Cd (0.04 mg/kg FW) and Pb (0.05 mg/kg FW), while higher levels of As (0.07 mg/kg FW), Cr (0.07 mg/kg FW), and Hg (0.003 mg/kg FW) were found in amaranths, tomatoes, and Houttuynia cordatas, respectively. The pollution indices revealed that the vegetable purplish soils were relatively more polluted by Cd and As, and the concentrations of these metals in vegetables were correlated with their concentrations in the soils. Principal component analysis grouped the PTEs in two dimensions that cumulatively explained 62.3% of their variation, and hierarchical clustering identified two distinct clusters indicating that Cr originated from a unique source. The health risk assessment revealed that exposure to As and Cd induced the greatest non-carcinogenic risk, whereas Cr was most likely to cause cancer risks. Furthermore, contaminated vegetable consumption was riskier for children than adults. The critical factors contributing to PTE contamination in vegetable gardens were determined to be vegetable species, total soil element content, soil pH, and soil organic matter content. Overall, Cr and As pollution present the greatest concern, and community health care services must enact more effective regulatory and preventative measures for urban gardens in terms of PTEs.

scholarly journals Potential Risk of Consuming Vegetables Planted in Soil with Lead and Cadmium and the Influence on Vegetable Antioxidant Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 3761
Author(s):  
Wen-Lii Huang ◽  
Wei-Hsiang Chang ◽  
Shu-Fen Cheng ◽  
Huai-Yuan Li ◽  
Hsiu-Ling Chen
Keyword(s):  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Water Spinach ◽  
Potato Leaf ◽  
Cd Accumulation ◽  
Lead And Cadmium ◽  
Cd Exposure

Once in soil and water, metals can enter the food chain, and the consumption of contaminated crops can pose a serious risk to human health. This study used pot experiments to evaluate the accumulation of metal elements and their influence on levels of antioxidants in vegetables. The current study clearly demonstrates that metals accumulated in the five vegetables that were planted in the contaminated soils, especially so for water spinach. Cd accumulation of all of the vegetables planted in the contaminated soils was greater Cu. The low accumulation rate that was seen in sweet potato leaf, potato, and tomato indicated their suitability for planting in suspected contaminated soil, such as at farms nearby metal industries, in replacement of high accumulators, such as leafy vegetables. The non-carcinogenic HI of Cd exposure from water spinach and sweet potato were >1, whereas those for Cu were <1. This study suggests that residents may experience health risks due to vegetable consumption, and that children are vulnerable to the adverse effects of heavy metal ingestion.

scholarly journals Portable XRF Quick-Scan Mapping for Potential Toxic Elements Pollutants in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems: A Methodological Approach

Sci ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Guri Venvik ◽  
Floris C. Boogaard
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Urban Drainage ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Portable Xrf ◽  
Potential Toxic Elements ◽  
Drainage Systems ◽  
Urban Drainage Systems

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) such as swales are designed to collect, store and infiltrate a large amount of surface runoff water during heavy rainfall. Stormwater is known to transport pollutants, such as particle-bound Potential Toxic Elements (PTE), which are known to often accumulate in the topsoil. A portable XRF instrument (pXRF) is used to provide in situ spatial characterization of soil pollutants, specifically lead (Pb), zink (Zn) and copper (Cu). The method uses pXRF measurements of PTE along profiles with set intervals (1 meter) to cover the swale with cross-sections, across the inlet, the deepest point and the outlet. Soil samples are collected, and the In-Situ measurements are verified by the results from laboratory analyses. Stormwater is here shown to be the transporting media for the pollutants, so it is of importance to investigate areas most prone to flooding and infiltration. This quick scan method is time and cost-efficient, easy to execute and the results are comparable to any known (inter)national threshold criteria for polluted soils. The results are of great importance for all stakeholders in cities that are involved in climate adaptation and implementing green infrastructure in urban areas. However, too little is still known about the long-term functioning of the soil-based SuDS facilities.

scholarly journals Contamination and ecological risk assessment of trace elements in sediments of the Anzali Wetland, Northern Iran

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjan Esmaeilzadeh ◽  
Elham Mahmoudpuor ◽  
Somayeh Haghighat Ziabari ◽  
Sara Esmaeilzadeh ◽  
Hamideh Aliani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Pollution Load Index ◽  
Pollution Indices ◽  
Anzali Wetland ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Quality Guidelines

Abstract In this paper, concentrations of some heavy metals in surficial sediments of the International Anzali Wetland were measured, this wetland is located in northern part of Iran. Sediment pollution levels were examined and analyzed using reliable pollution indices including Pollution Load Index (PLI), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) and Enrichment Factor (CF), and finally it was revealed that heavy metal pollution ranged from low to moderated loads in the wetland. According to Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) and Ecological Risk Index (ERI), it was concluded that As and Ni may have significant toxic impacts on aquatic organisms and also according to Effect Range Median (ERM), the toxicity probability of sediments in the Anzali wetland was estimated at 21%.

University gardens for sustainable citizenship: assessing the impacts of garden-based learning on environmental and food education at Spanish higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 516-534
Author(s):  
Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo ◽  
Guadalupe Ramos-Truchero ◽  
Rafael Suárez-López
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Agricultural Labor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Waste Separation ◽  
Spanish Higher Education

Purpose Gardens are being used at all educational stages, because they provide with a real-world context for active and experiential learning. In Spain, there exists a movement in favor of their incorporation to higher education for a variety of purposes but prevalently as an innovative resource to teach sciences to pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study is assessing the impacts of such pedagogical practice on university students’ learning and behavioral changes in the areas of environmental and food citizenship, two key dimensions of contemporary citizenship that are essential to achieve sustainable societies. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected by means of an electronic, open-ended question survey completed by 170 students from 6 different universities where gardens are used. Answers were qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA software to develop a system of content categories and subcategories in relation to reported learning and behavioral changes. Findings Widespread among universities was learning on organic agriculture practices, greater appreciation of agricultural labor, greater willingness to cultivate, higher awareness of environmental impacts of agriculture, improved behaviors regarding waste separation and enhanced fruit and vegetable consumption. Originality/value This work delves into how university gardens act as a vehicle through which students integrate knowledge and reflect on their environmental, food and consumption behaviors. Thus, it supports on evidences, the use of gardens at higher education to nurture two dimensions of contemporary citizenship essential to achieve sustainability.

scholarly journals Parasitological analysis of green leaf lettuce cultivated in different production systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 801
Author(s):  
Juliana Santiago Santos ◽  
Cristina Atsumi Kuba ◽  
Francislaine Anelize Garcia Santos ◽  
Aline Da Silveira Batista ◽  
Stênio Clemente Paião Sitolino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Green Leaf ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Hydroponic System ◽  
Sanitary Conditions ◽  
Leaf Lettuce

This study analysed parasite contamination in green leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa), grown in different cultivation systems (conventional, organic, and hydroponic), from a family farmer cooperative in the municipality of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil. Samples were collected at weekly intervals during five months, totalling 180 vegetable samples (60 samples of leaf lettuce from each cultivation system). Lettuce leaves were washed with 0.5% Extran MA 02, and the resulting fluid subjected to sedimentation and centrifugal flotation for recovery of parasite structures. Overall, 71 samples (39.4%) were contaminated with at least one parasite structure, 34 (47.9%) from lettuce grown in the hydroponic system, 20 (28.2%) from the organic system, and 17 (23.9%) from the conventional system. Entamoeba spp. cysts were the most common parasite structures found in the leafy vegetables, with the highest cyst counts found in the hydroponic system (p = 0.003). It is concluded that, regardless of the cultivation system (conventional, organic, or hydroponic), there is a possibility of green leaf lettuce contamination by intestinal parasites. Measures that improve sanitary conditions during production, as well as proper hygiene during the preparation of raw leafy vegetables, may be important to reduce contamination and consequent transmission of parasite diseases from raw leafy vegetable consumption.

scholarly journals Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of potential toxic elements (PTEs): An Avicennia germinans–Uca rapax trophic transfer story from Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico

2021 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 107038
Author(s):  
Michael Martínez-Colón ◽  
Henry Alegría ◽  
Ashley Huber ◽  
Hatice Kubra-Gul ◽  
Perihan Kurt-Karakus
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Trophic Transfer ◽  
Avicennia Germinans ◽  
Potential Toxic Elements
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