Assessment of Heavy Metal and Pesticide Levels in Soil and Plant Products from Agricultural Area of Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

This study was aimed to assess the levels of selected heavy metals and pesticides in soil and plant products from an agricultural area of Belgrade, Serbia and to indicate possible sources and risks of contamination. Soil, vegetable, and fruit samples from the most important agricultural city areas were collected from July to November of 2006. Metal contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, whereas pesticide residues were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after extraction performed using solid-phase microextraction technique. Soil characterization based on the determination of selected physical and chemical properties revealed heterogeneous soils belonging to different soil groups. The concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc in soil samples do not exceed the limits established by national and international regulations. Residues of the herbicide atrazine were detected in three soil samples, with levels lower than the relevant limit. The presence of other herbicides, namely prometryn, chloridazon, acetochlor, flurochloridone, and napropamide, was registered in some soil samples as well. Among the insecticides investigated in the soil, fenitrothion and chlorpyrifos were the only ones detected. In most of the investigated vegetable samples from the Obrenovac area, Pb and Cd contents are higher in comparison with the maximum levels, indicating the emission of coal combustion products from local thermal power plants as a possible source of contamination. Residue levels of some herbicides and insecticides (metribuzin, trifluralin, pendimethalin, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, and cypermethrin) determined in tomato, pepper, potato, and onion samples from Slanci, Ovca, and Obrenovac areas are even several times higher than the maximum residue levels. Inappropriate use of these plant protection products is considered to be the most probable reason of contamination. Because increased levels of heavy metals and pesticide residues found in plant products could pose a risk to consumers' health, their continual monitoring before product distribution to city markets is indispensable.

Heavy Metal Content in Terraced Rice Fields at Sruwen Tengaran Semarang - Indonesia

“…Results of research using external inputs of site-specific chemical fertilizers still contained heavy metals in the soil (0.54-1.32 ppm) [3]. Similarly, results of research in Belgrade Serbia reported that heavy metal contaminants from the Power Plant industry had detected Pb (13.4-27.4 mg / kg), Cd (0.11-0.27 mg / kg), Cu (20, 5-34.4 mg / kg), Zn (75.3-142 mg / kg) of land on agricultural land is still below established national and international standards [4]. Based on the above consideration, it is necessary to conduct an assessment aimed at identifying heavy metal content in terraced rice field in Sruwen Village, Tengaran District, Semarang Regency.…”

Modern Extraction Techniques for Pesticide Residues Determination in Plant and Soil Samples

“…The research results indicate that the most often used SPME fibers in the pesticide residues analysis (PDMS and PA) are a good choice for determination of: phenyl urea in carrot, onion and potato (Berrada et al, 2004); OCPs in soils (Zhao et al, 2006;Herbert et al, 2006); OPPs in strawberries and cherries (Lambropoulou i Albanis, 2003) and samples of banana, apple, grapefruit, orange, lemon, kiwi, pineapple, pear, peach, apricot, grapes, melon, lotus, plum, mango, cherry and coconut (Fytianos et al, 2006); OCPs and OPPs in cucumber and strawberry (Kin & Huat, 2010); pesticides belonging to different chemical groups in tomato and cucumber (Chai & Tan, 2009), mango (Filho et al, 2010), soil (Đurović et al, 2010a, 2010b), i.e. in samples of potato, tomato, onion, cabbage and pepper (Marković et al, 2010). Considering that in the SPME analysis only 1 cm of fiber is exposed to the sample, not only the nature, but also the size of the active surface layer will significantly affect the microextraction efficiency.…”

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) in determination of pesticide residues in soil samples

“…polarni polarnim. Istraživanja sprovedena u oblasti ostataka pesticida ukazuju da su u najvećem broju sluča-jeva vlakna sa izrazito nepolarnim polidimetil-siloksanskim (PDMS) i izuzetno polarnim poliakrilatnim (PA) aktivnim slojevima najefikasnija u analizama uzoraka različitog porekla (Doong i Liao, 2001;Sakamoto i Tsutsumi, 2004;Đurović, 2006;Đurović i sar., 2007;2007a;2010;2010c;Fernandez-Alvarez i sar., 2008), tako da će u ovom radu biti prikazane osnovne karakteristike samo ova dva mikroekstrakciona sorbenta.…”

“…Količina sorbovana na vlaknu i vreme uravnotežavanja zavisiće od debljine i polarnosti aktivnog sloja vlakna, distribucionih konstanti analita i eksperimentalnih uslova (način i brzina mešanja uzorka, temperatura, itd.). Iako se maksimalna osetljivost SPME metode postiže na ravnotežnim vremenima, iz praktičnih razloga ekstrakciono vreme se može skratiti (Pawliszyn, 1997;Đurović, 2006, 2010Đurović i sar., 2007, 2010b, 2010c.…”