Quantification and Reduction in Heavy Metal Residues in Some Fruits and Vegetables: A Case Study Galați County, Romania

Abstract

One of the main issues for sustainable global development with high priority is food security. The negative effects of contaminants on crop quality have threatened both food security and human health. Long-term heavy metal exposure from food, drinking water, or other occupational sources causes serious problems, such as kidney failure, hepatotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. This study was conducted to determine the concentrations of three toxic trace elements (As, Cd, Pb) and one microelement (Zn) in fruits and vegetables using ICP-MS, and it also sought to reduce the concentrations of metals by washing with vinegar (5% and 10% acetic acid). The potential of vinegar to influence heavy metal contents may be due to its effect on pH values that influence the solution chemistry of the heavy metals, such as hydrolysis, redox reactions, precipitation, and availability of heavy metals. Sample origin has a significant influence in terms of metal accumulation; values up to 35%, 68%, 67%, and 3% lower were recorded in the case samples originating from amateur farmers (for As, Cd, Pb, and Zn, respectively). Regarding the efficiency of the vinegar, As and Zn recorded levels up to 8% lower for samples washed with 10% vinegar, and Cd showed levels up to 20% lower for samples washed with 10% vinegar, while Pb did not register any differences.