Foliar uptake and metal(loid) bioaccessibility in vegetables exposed to particulate matter

Abstract

At the global scale, high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) enriched with metal(loid)s are currently observed in the atmosphere of urban areas. Foliar lead uptake was demonstrated for vegetables exposed to airborne PM. Our main objective here was to highlight the health risk associated with the consumption of vegetables exposed to foliar deposits of PM enriched with the various metal(loid)s frequently observed in the atmosphere of urban areas (Cd, Sb, Zn and Pb). Leaves of mature cabbage and spinach were exposed to manufactured mono-metallic oxide particles (CdO, Sb2O3 and ZnO) or to complex process PM mainly enriched with lead. Total and bioaccessible metal(loid) concentrations were then measured for polluted vegetables and the various PM used as sources. Finally, scanning electronic microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis was used to study PM-phyllosphere interactions. High quantities of Cd, Sb, Zn and Pb were taken up by the plant leaves. These levels depended on both the plant species and nature of the PM, highlighting the interest of acquiring data for different plants and sources of exposure in order to better identify and manage health risks. A maximum of 2% of the leaf surfaces were covered with the PM. However, particles appeared to be enriched in stomatal openings, with up to 12% of their area occupied. Metal(loid) bioaccessibility was significantly higher for vegetables compared to PM sources, certainly due to chemical speciation changes. Taken together, these results confirm the importance of taking atmospheric PM into account when assessing the health risks associated with ingestion of vegetables grown in urban vegetable crops or kitchen gardens.

Antimony bioavailability: Knowledge and research perspectives for sustainable agricultures

“…The human bioaccessible fraction of a metal(loid) is defined as the fraction extracted by the entire digestive system when it is ingested with polluted soil [158], or polluted vegetables [20,21]. A standardized bioaccessibility test has been developed by the BioAccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE): the Unified BARGE Method (UBM) [159].…”

Ecological changes in historically polluted soils: Metal(loid) bioaccumulation in microarthropods and their impact on community structure

“…At the global scale, historical soil pollution by persistent metal(loid)s presents environmental and sanitary risks (Schreck et al, 2011;Levêque et al, 2013;Dumat and Austruy, 2014;Kpan et al, 2014;Xiong et al, 2014;Levêque et al, 2015). While the harmful effects of metal(loid)s on vegetation and soil macrofauna have been widely studied (chapter 10 of Hopkin, 1997;Reddy et al, 2005;Sharma and Dubey, 2005;Gichner et al, 2008;Austruy et al, 2013), their impact on microarthropod communities (millimetre scale) and their bioaccumulation capacity have been less investigated.…”

Assessing the Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility of Total Arsenic and Arsenic Species in Environmental Samples

“…When vegetables grow in contaminated soils, the bioavailable part of the elements present in the soil can pass to the vegetable through intake mechanisms in which the microorganisms present in the soil are frequently involved, and the proper structure of the vegetal 35,36 . The Spanish samples are in the level reported for plants growing in non-contaminated soils 37,38 .…”