Iron content in the fruits of the grapevines and peach trees growing near the mining and smelting complex Bor, east Serbia

Abstract

The samples of fruits of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera, cultivar Tamjanika) and the peach tree (Prunus persica L. Batech) from the Bor region were analyzed using an ICP-OES to determine the content of iron (Fe). This was done in order to assess possible health risks related to this essential element; the region of Bor's municipality is known as one of the most polluted areas in Serbia. The content of Fe in unwashed grapes seems not to be affected by the mining/metallurgical activities, as it was either in the normal concentration range or was at even lower than critical deficiency concentration in plants (21.8-98 mg/kg). The level of Fe in the samples of peaches ranged from 62.4 to 1418 mg/kg, which is much higher than that in grape samples and in one case, even higher than the phytotoxic threshold. The values of the enrichment factor (EF) were lower than 2 in the case of grape samples, while for peach samples, these values ranged from rather low (0.99) to extremely high (22.66). Based on the herein obtained results, in the region of Bor, it seems that the cultivation of grapevine should be favored over the cultivation of peach trees.