2007_6_Nr6_EEMJ

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal November/December 2007, Vol.6, No.6, 593-596
http://omicron.ch.tuiasi.ro/EEMJ/
“Gh. Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania
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COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOME ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN
DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Alina Soceanu 1∗ , Simona Dobrinas 1 , Viorica Popescu 1 , Semaghiul Birghila 1 ,
Vasile Magearu 2
1 Ovidius University of Constanta, Department of Chemistry, 124 Mamaia Blvd, 900527 Constanta, Romania
2
Bucharest University, Department of Analytical Chemistry, 4-12 Elisabeta Blvd., 030018, Bucharest, Romania
Abstract
Some industry activities in the area of Constanta (Romania) contribute to the polluting of the environment with heavy metals. In
order to estimate the pollution level and the danger created by this phenomenon, some analyses are required with regard to
determining the concentration of the pollutant metals in plants samples. The investigated metals were determined by flame atomic
absorbtion spectrometry in different types of vegetables and fruits, after the chemical mineralization of the sample with a
Digesdahl device. These levels were compared with those from literature.
Key words: metals Fe, Mn, Cd, Zn, Cu, FAAS, pollutants vegetables, fruits
1. Introduction
The concentration of heavy metals in the soil
is an important issue with regards to human health.
Ingestion of vegetables grown in contaminated soil
may pose health issues. The accumulation of metals
varies greatly both between species and cultivars.
Heavy metals are not readily absorbed by plants.
Generally, plants translocate larger quantities of
metals to their leaves than to their fruits or seeds.
For the determinations of metals in plants
various techniques were used, such as total reflection
X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) (Varga et
al., 1999), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (Psaras
and Manetas, 2001; Belakova et al., 1998), flame
atomic absorption spectrometry (Moraghan et al.,
2002; Beebe et al, 2000), inductively coupled plasma
atomic emission spectrometry (Perronnetk at al.,
2003; Masson, 1999), inductively coupled plasma
mass spectrometry (Ivanova et al., 2001; Li et al.,
1998).
Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS)
is probably the most widely used technique for
analyzing a variety of metals in food due to its
relatively low cost and excellent analytical
performances. In this study, samples of vegetables
(bean, pea, carrot, cucumber) and fruits (peach and
nectarine) produced in the area of Constanta
(Romania) were analyzed to determine their content
in Fe, Mn, Cd, Zn and Cu by flame atomic absorption
spectrometry (FAAS) and compared with those
obtained by other authors.
2. Experimental
2.1. Reagents and solutions
All metal stock solutions (1000 mg/L) were
prepared by dissolving the appropriate amounts of the
metals or compounds in dilute acids (1:1) and then
diluting them with deionised water. The working
solutions were prepared by diluting the stock
solutions to appropriate volumes. The nitric acid and
hydrogen peroxide solutions used were of analytical
grade, purchased from Merck.
∗ Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed: asoceanu@univ-ovidius.ro