article · PLoS ONE
A field study in South Cairo and Giza provinces, Egypt, evaluated heavy metal uptake in garden peas grown in contaminated versus non-polluted soils. Crops grown in polluted soils exhibited lower fresh and dry phytomass, reduced photosynthetic pigments, diminished fruit production, and poorer nutrient quality alongside higher heavy metal accumulation in the fruit. Across polluted sites, the bioaccumulation factor exceeded one for all eleven evaluated heavy metals. Although daily metal intake estimates generally remained below one, except for iron, the health risk index for lead, cadmium, iron, and manganese exceeded safety limits in crops from contaminated sites, while lead also exceeded safe limits in non-polluted sites. These findings indicate significant health hazards for consumers, prompting advice to avoid consuming peas grown in contaminated soils and to transition such land to non-accumulating crops or non-edible crops such as animal forage.
Growing food crops in contaminated soils directly impacts agricultural productivity and poses serious hazards to human health through the food chain. This research shows that garden peas readily accumulate toxic heavy metals in their edible parts, creating severe risks for consumers. Recognising these patterns helps environmental monitors and farmers take preventive steps to ensure contaminated land is not used for vulnerable food crops.
This early-stage research provides baseline safety data rather than a commercial product. The findings can be used by agricultural advisory bodies, environmental regulators, and farm managers to guide crop selection in polluted areas. Practical implementation would involve advising growers to replace metal-accumulating vegetables with non-edible crops or animal forage, mitigating food safety liabilities for farming enterprises operating near contaminated soil or wastewater sources.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
The aim of the present investigation was to determine the concentration of heavy metals in the different organs of Pisum sativum L. (garden pea) grown in contaminated soils in comparison to nonpolluted soils in the South Cairo and Giza provinces, Egypt, and their effect on consumers' health. To collect soil and plant samples from two nonpolluted and two polluted farms, five quadrats, each of 1 m2, were collected per each farm and used for growth measurement and chemical analysis. The daily intake of metals (DIM) and its associated health risks (health risk index (HRI) were also assessed. The investigated heavy metals were cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), silver (Ag), cobalt (Co) and vanadium (V). Significant differences in soil heavy metals, except As, between nonpolluted and polluted sites were recorded. Fresh and dry phytomass, photosynthetic pigments, fruit production, and organic and inorganic nutrients were reduced in the polluted sites, where there was a high concentration of heavy metals in the fruit. The bioaccumulation factor for all studied heavy metals exceeded 1 in the polluted sites and only Pb, Cu and Mn exceeded 1 in the nonpolluted sites. Except for Fe, the DIM of the studied heavy metals in both sites did not exceed 1 in either children or adults. However, the HRI of Pb, Cd, Fe, and Mn in the polluted plants and Pb in the nonpolluted ones exceeded 1, indicating significant potential health risks to consumers. The authors recommend not to eat garden peas grown in the polluted sites, and farmers should carefully grow heavy metals non-accumulating food crops or non-edible plants for other purposes such as animal forages.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252229
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
