Metals and Metalloids in Eruca Sativa Produced Under Different Conditions and Their Potential Risk to Human Health

JULIETA GRIBOFF; FACUNDO L. CORTÉS; DANIELA S. ARAN; DANIEL A. WUNDERLIN; MAGDALENA V. MONFERRAN

Montevideo

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 15th Biennial Meeting; 2023

SETAC Latin America

Wastewater, as well as organic and inorganic fertilizers used in agricultural activities, can contain a variety of pollutants that can accumulate on plants of food interest and pose a health risk to consumers. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of irrigation with contaminated water and the application of manure on horticultural crops, in comparison to conventional fertilizers, regarding the content of Mg, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Hg and Pb. For that purpose, Eruca sativa (arugula) was grown under different treatments in the laboratory (n=3). In control arugula grew in commercial soil and was irrigated with potable water. In treatments 1 and 2 arugula grew in a substrate amended with 10% of manure and 2% of urea respectively, and both were irrigated with residual water + metals (max. levels allowed in irrigation water): Pb (200 µg L-1), Cr (100 µg L-1), As (100 µg L-1), Cd (10 µg L-1) and Hg (1 µg L- 1). Finally, in treatments 3 and 4 arugula grew in a substrate amended with 10% of manure and 2% of urea respectively, but were irrigated with potable water + metals: Pb (100 µg L-1), Cr (50 µg L-1), As (50 µg L-1), Cd (5 µg L-1) and Hg (0.5 µg L-1). Irrigation water, soil/manure and harvested plants (2 months) were analyzed for multi-elemental content using ICP-MS. The human health risk associated with the consumptionof arugula produced was assessed using estimated daily intake. The residual water presented a higher concentration for most of the elements than the potable water, except for the intentionally added metals that met their nominal concentration. Overall, the multi-elemental profile of the substrates did not differ significantly between treatments. However, different patterns of element accumulation were observed in the plants according to the treatments. In particular, toxic elements such as Cr (2>1>3 and 4>C), As (1>2>3> 4 and C) and Cd (2>1>3> 4>C), were found to accumulate at higher concentrations in plants irrigated with the highest concentrations of these elements. Mercury was accumulated in vegetables grown under the different exposure treatments, except in controls. Based on the results obtained from estimated daily intake calculation, the use of contaminated water in the irrigation of arugula, as well as the application of synthetic fertilizers and manure, do not represent a risk to the health of the consumer concerning the content of inorganic pollutants, under these conditions