Assessment of potential exposure to As, Cd, Pb and Zn in vegetable garden soils and vegetables in a mining region

A significant health hazard exists for consumers due to elevated levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in vegetables grown in Kutná Hora, Czechia, despite relatively low phyto-available concentrations in the soil. The study found that pseudo-total As concentrations in soils exceeded background levels by 1.9–93 times, with the highest concentrations detected in deeper soil layers. Vegetables, particularly cucumber fruits, peppers, and zucchini, exhibited PTE concentrations surpassing Czech Ministry of Health and EU guidelines, indicating a potential risk to public health. The research involved sampling soils from two depths and analyzing market vegetables from vegetable gardens near unconfined slag deposits, using pseudo-total and phyto-available concentration assessments.

Vejvodová, K., Ash, C., Dajčl, J., Tejnecký, V., Johanis, H., Spasić, M., Polák, F., Praus, L., Borůvka, L., & Drábek, O. (2022). Assessment of potential exposure to As, Cd, Pb and Zn in vegetable garden soils and vegetables in a mining region. Scientific Reports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17461-z