A review on heavy metals contamination in some vegetables
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Date
2022
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Busitema University
Abstract
Agricultural produce such as vegetables has been a primary source of food for many homes. Green vegetables in the diet provide the body with vital vitamins, minerals and fiber which are very essential for human growth. There are two categories of HM namely; essential HM and non-essential HM. Essential HM include Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Iron, all the essential metals play different key roles in human body for example Iron as a metal complex in the heme plays a key role in biding molecular oxygen in the lungs and transport it to other cells in the body, Manganese is responsible for metabolism of lipids and amino acids, Copper is responsible for making red blood cells and Zinc responsible for cell division. On the other hand, non-essential HM include; Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Chromium and Nickel. Essential HM is required by the human body in small portion however, when it is concentration becomes high results into a number of diseases affecting the kidney, heart, brain and central nervous system. The human body get exposed mostly to heavy metals through consumption of vegetables contaminated with heavy metals. This has raised concern about the food security for good human health. Over use of fertilizers, mining, use of pesticides, use of waste water for irrigation of the vegetables mentioned but a few are some of sources of heavy metals. This reviews heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) accumulation in vegetable crops (onions, green pepper, cucumber, potatoes and tomatoes) and their impact on human health. Key words: Bioaccumulation, Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), Heavy Metals (HM)
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Oloka, X. (2022). A review on heavy metals contamination in some vegetables [Undergraduate, Research Report]. Busitema University.