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JCHR (2021) 11(1), 99-111 Journal of Chemical Health Risks www.jchr.org ORIGINAL ARTICLE www.jchr.org Potential Health Risk of Nitrate Accumulation in Vegetables Grown in Pol-e Dokhtar County Mahboobeh Jalali* 1, Zahra Amini Farsani2, Mohammad Hadi Ghaffarian Mogharab3, Mohammad Feyzian4 1Assistant Professor, Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran 2Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, School of science, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran 3Assistant Professor, Soil and Water Research Department, Zanjan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Zanjan, Iran 4Associate professor, Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran (Received: 27 May 2020 Accepted: 21 December 2020) ABSTRACT: Vegetables as one of the most important sources of nitrate, have positive and negative effects on human KEYWORDS health. The goal of this paper was to estimate the nitrate concentration in vegetables production in Pol-e Dokhtar Daily intake; County as one of the main centers of Iranian vegetable production and the possible health risks correlated with high Nitrate; concentration of nitrate in theses crops. Using United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) method, the Non-carcinogenic risk; risk was evaluated and presented as risk diagrams. Additionally, type, amount and method of fertilization in farms Total hazard quotient with different concentrations of nitrate in vegetables were presented. Almost, all results were within the range of (HQs); − −1 Vegetables nitrate concentrations in vegetables. Lettuce and Persian leek (716.200 and 378.500 mg NO3 kg FW, respectively) – were the most and least predominant contributors in total NO3 uptake, respectively. The risk diagrams showed that all values were lower than the acceptable levels for each of vegetables. Furthermore, in most age groups, this index was greater in women than in men. According to the information in the questionnaires, perhaps one of the most important factors in reducing the nitrate accumulation in the vegetables of Pol-e Dokhtar is due to optimal and timely use of fertilizer. Use of nitrogen fertilizers in form of split in 73% of fields decreased the nitrate concentration in plants with no reduction in yield. Therefore, considering crop yields and nitrate accumulation impacts, improved nitrogen management could provide an opportunity to promote production of vegetables and reducing the effects of negative health in high-risk regions in Lorestan Province. INTRODUCTION Nitrate is the main form of nitrogen uptake by plants. A Nitrate decomposition products are much more toxic to the major quality characteristic of vegetables due to its human body than nitrate itself [2]. Adequate nitrate influence on human health is nitrate concentration [1, 2]. concentration reduces the blood pressure, impede the *Corresponding author: [email protected] (M.Jalali) 99 DOI: 10.22034/jchr.2020.1900860.1137 M. Jalali et al/ Journal of Chemical Health Risks 11(1) (2021) 99-111 platelet aggregation, and improves the endothelial activities [20]. Risk management is a comprehensive dysfunction [3, 4]. process used to determine, identify, control and minimize Due to excessive use of nitrate fertilizers, nitrate the effects and consequences of potential events. concentrations in vegetables are higher than past. To provide a strategy to manage any risks to human health Approximately 80% of the total nitrate intake by human is from dietary nitrate exposure resulting from vegetables provided by vegetables [5]. The contribution of vegetables consumption, an updated risk assessment considering the in the entry of nitrate into the human diet has been shown in present and future amounts of consumption and nitrate various studies [6-9] to develop a database to precisely concentration is needed. Thus, the current study aimed to assess nitrate exposure in different populations, thereby evaluate human health risk related to nitrate via aiding in experiments regarding the health-related outcomes consumption of vegetables in Pol-e Dokhtar County as one of dietary exposure to nitrate [10]. of the main centers of Iranian vegetable production. For this Minimum daily intake of nitrate for vegetables and fruits in purpose, at first, samples from vegetables were collected developing countries has been suggested 400 g [11]. So, it from farm fields, and nitrate concentration in the plant is necessary to provide a solution to reduce the amount of edible parts was measured. Then, the nitrate intake and the nitrate consumed through vegetables [12]. By both the Joint associated health risk for different age-sex receptor groups FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and the were assessed by the hazard quotient method. Finally, type, European Communities’ Scientific Committee for Food, amount and method of fertilization in farms with different allowable daily intake (ADI) for nitrate has been set as 0- concentrations of nitrate in vegetables were presented. 3.65mg kg-1 body weight [13]. According to studies, the MATERIAL AND METHODS concentration of nitrate in vegetables is from less than 1mg 100g-1 to greater than 1000mg 100g-1 [14, 15]. Study area According to their nitrate concentration, vegetables can be divided into three groups: low nitrate (< 100 mg/kg), Lorestan Province is located in the west of Iran. Pol-e medium nitrate (100–1000 mg/kg) and high nitrate (> 1000 Dokhtar County is a county in Lorestan Province in Iran. In mg/kg) [16]. Research has shown that dark leafy vegetables the 2016 census, its population was 73744. have higher nitrate and nitrites concentrations than other Sample collection vegetables [14, 17]. According to a study conduct in Italy, vegetables belonging to the families of Selection of a suitable size for sample is one of the most Chenopodiaceaceae, Brassicaceae, Apiaceae and important factors in conducting such research. The stratified Asteraceae accumulated more nitrates, while random sampling with an appropriate allocation is a Convolvulaceae, Solonaceae and Liliaceae contained the relevant method for sampling in this study. In the case lowest levels of nitrates [13]. Raczuk et al. (2014) state that where we do not have the basic information about our target the nitrate concentrations of vegetable types varied with a population and its characteristics, we can use the Cochran -1 range of 10-4800 mg kg , with the highest value in radish formula to estimate the total sample size based on the -1 -1 (2132 mg kg ), and the lowest in cucumber (32 mg kg ) following formula (1): [18]. Obviously, the cumulative effect of nitrate can play a significant role in the development of different carcinogenic 2 and non-carcinogenic diseases [19]. Therefore, risk NZ pq assessment of these diseases due to consumption of nitrate- 2 n 2 2 (1) contaminated vegetables appears necessary. Risk (N 1)d Z pq 2 assessment is the first phase of a set of risk management 100 M. Jalali et al/ Journal of Chemical Health Risks 11(1) (2021) 99-111 Where n= sample size, N= population size, Z= the critical number of samples to each class as Equation 2 and was value of the normal distribution at α/2, p= the sample shown in Table 1. proportion, d= the margin of error. Since the population is not classified with the same size in each subpopulation, the Ni ni n (2) proportional allocation method is used to assign a specified Ni Table 1. Appropriate sample number based on the cultivated area for each vegetable with a 5% error rate (The cultivation area was obtained from the Organization of Agriculture Jahad Lorestan, 2018). Vegetable Lettuce Spinach Cress green onion Radish Persian Leek Area (ha) 60.2 96.2 105.8 91.95 111.8 37.15 Number of samples 10 16 16 15 17 6 Vegetable Coriander Parsley Fenugreek Dill Mint Area (ha) 94.3 82.7 19 34.85 17.9 Number of samples 15 14 3 6 2 The total estimated sample size was 120 samples from five groups were collected from each plot were mixed to edible parts of vegetables collected from different areas of obtain a sample. Fields were randomly chosen considering Pol-e Dokhtar (including: Babazeid, Gol Gol, Murani, their size and crops. All samples were stored in Paran Parviz, Vareh Zard, Khersdar,) (Figure 1) based on polyethylene bags for transport at a constant temperature of the predominant crop distribution and sizes of agricultural 40C. area, at the harvest time. Different types of vegetables in Figure 1. Location of sampling points In this research, vegetables included lettuce (Lactuca sativa graecum), mint (Mentha Piperita), radish (Raphanus .(L), Persian leek (Allium cepa،), spinach (Lepidium sativus var. sativus) and green onion (Allium fistulosum sativum،), parsley (Petroselinum crispum،), cress (oleracea Sample preparation Spinacia), dill (graveolens Anethum), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum- The plant samples were cleaned and oven-dried at 70°C for 48 h to a constant weight and ground in the centrifugal mill. 101 M. Jalali et al/ Journal of Chemical Health Risks 11(1) (2021) 99-111 The difference between wet and dry weight of plant Where CF = concentration of nitrate in food (mg g−1), IR samples divided by dry weight was considered as the =ingestion rate (g d−1) or (g L−1), FI =fraction ingested from moisture content of the samples. Irrigation water was also contaminated source (unit less), EF =exposure frequency (d analyzed. The water sample was put into polyethylene y−1), ED =exposure duration (y), BW =bodyweight (kg), containers and filtered by filter paper No. 42, and then by and AT =averaging time that is the period over which using ion chromatography nitrate concentration were exposure is averaged and calculated (d) as: AT =365 (d y−1) measured. ×ED (y). The fraction ingested from the contaminated source (FI) Nitrate analysis represents the fraction of consumed food stuffs entered to Diazo method [21] which is based on nitrate recovery to the blood.