Heavy metals toxicity and bioaccumulation in vegetables from potentially polluted area

Food safety and quality are a major public concern worldwide, regarding the risk associated with consumption of food stuffs contaminated with heavy metals as toxins. The levels of 8 elements contents were determined in various vegetables [garlic (Allium sativum), onion (Allium cepa) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum)], cultivated around copper mine environ. Bioaccumulation and mobility of heavy metals were determinate with three soil extraction methods: in 0.1 M HCl; in H2O and in a mixed buffered solution (pH = 7.3) of triethanolamine (0.1 mol l−1) with CaCl2 (0.01 mol l−1) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (0.005 mol l−1). Heavy metals contents were investigated for determining the bioaccumulation properties in vegetables parts in order of health risk in consuming food. Inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was applied to determine the contents of the analyzed metals content in the vegetables and soils