Skip to Content

Concentrations of lead, cadmium and barium in urban garden-grown vegetables: the impact of soil variables.

Concentrations of lead, cadmium and barium in urban garden-grown vegetables: the impact of soil variables.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) (2014-08-29)

Murray B McBride, Hannah A Shayler, Henry M Spliethoff, Rebecca G Mitchell, Lydia G Marquez-Bravo, Gretchen S Ferenz, Jonathan M Russell-Anelli, Linda Casey, Sharon Bachman

ABSTRACT

Paired vegetable/soil samples from New York City and Buffalo, NY, gardens were analyzed for lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and barium (Ba). Vegetable aluminum (Al) was measured to assess soil adherence. Soil and vegetable metal concentrations did not correlate; vegetable concentrations varied by crop type. Pb was below health-based guidance values (EU standards) in virtually all fruits. 47% of root crops and 9% of leafy greens exceeded guidance values; over half the vegetables exceeded the 95th percentile of market-basket concentrations for Pb. Vegetable Pb correlated with Al; soil particle adherence/incorporation was more important than Pb uptake via roots. Cd was similar to market-basket concentrations and below guidance values in nearly all samples. Vegetable Ba was much higher than Pb or Cd, although soil Ba was lower than soil Pb. The poor relationship between vegetable and soil metal concentrations is attributable to particulate contamination of vegetables and soil characteristics that influence phytoavailability.

MATERIALS

Product Number

Brand

Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich

Cadmium, granular, 30-80 mesh, ≥99%

Sigma-Aldrich

Cadmium, granular, ≥99%, 5-20 mesh

Sigma-Aldrich

Lead, powder, −325 mesh, ≥99% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Cadmium, powder, −100 mesh, 99.5% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Barium, dendritic pieces, purified by distillation, 99.99% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Barium, rod, diam. ~2 cm, ≥99% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Barium, dendritic pieces, purified by distillation, 99.9% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Barium, beads, 0.5-2.0 mm particle size, 99% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Barium, pieces, 1 cm, 99% trace metals basis

Sigma-Aldrich

Cadmium, shot, 3 mm, 99.999% trace metals basis

Cadmium, rod, 500mm, diameter 5.0mm, as drawn, 99.99+%

Lead, foil, 2m coil, thickness 0.016mm, as rolled, 96% (sn 1.5%, sb 2.5%)

Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.001mm, 99.7+%

Lead, foil, 4mm disks, thickness 0.009mm, 99.99+%

Cadmium, foil, 8mm disks, thickness 0.5mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Cadmium, tube, 200mm, outside diameter 2.29mm, inside diameter 1.27mm, wall thickness 0.51mm, 99.95+%

Lead, foil, 25mm disks, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 99.99+%

Lead, foil, 0.5m coil, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 50mm disks, thickness 0.125mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 15mm disks, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 99.99+%

Lead, foil, 300x300mm, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 50x50mm, thickness 0.5mm, as rolled, 99.99+%

Lead, foil, 10mm disks, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 99.99+%

Lead, foil, 15mm disks, thickness 0.15mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 1m coil, thickness 0.05mm, as rolled, 97% (sn 1.5%, sb 1.5%)

Lead, foil, 300x300mm, thickness 0.125mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 10m coil, thickness 0.15mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 0.5m coil, thickness 0.125mm, as rolled, 99.95%

Lead, foil, 10mm disks, thickness 0.01mm, 99.99+%

Lead, foil, 0.5m coil, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 99.5%