Cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc in rice and rice field soil from southern Catalonia, Spain
- Rovira i Virgili Univ., Reus (Spain)
- Rovira i Virgili Univ., Reus (Spain) Univ. of Barcelona (Spain)
- Univ. of Barcelona (Spain)
Metals are ubiquitous in the modem industrialized environment. Some metals have no beneficial effects in humans. In contrast, other metals such as chromium, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt or iron are essential for man. However, these essential trace elements can also be dangerous at high levels. Many metals are natural constituents of soils, whereas soils may also be contaminated by a number of elements as the results of less-than-ideal disposal practices from past industrial processes. Vegetables absorb metals from the soil. Thus, soil properties affecting mineral elements availability are the first determinants of the transfer of elements to higher trophic levels in the soil-plant-animal/human system. Rice plants are annual emergent aquatic macrophytes which are economically important as a cereal crop in Spain. Macrophytes may absorb metals through both roots and shoots, while aerial deposition may also be an additional source in emergent species. Cadmium rich soils generally produce cadmium rich foods. On the other hand, in recent decades it has been demonstrated that a number of metals such as chromium, copper and zinc, which play an important role in many fields of modern industry, have a notorious role in various biochemical processes. The beneficial or the toxic effect of an element depends on its concentration in the organism. Although there are many reports in the world on environmental metals, to date no data about the metal contents in Spanish rice have been available. The purpose of this study was to examine the concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper and zinc in rice from the Delta of Ebro river (Tarragona, Spain). These particular metals were chosen because of current interest in either toxicity or potential deficiency in humans. The metal contents in rice were related to rice variety, locality, and soil type. The dietary intake of cadmium, chromium, copper and zinc from rice was also determined.
- OSTI ID:
- 6855059
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Vol. 53:1; ISSN 0007-4861
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Lead and cadmium concentrations in marine organisms from the Tarragona coastal waters, Spain
Annual and seasonal variability of metals and metalloids in urban and industrial soils in Alcalá de Henares (Spain)
Related Subjects
CADMIUM
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
CHROMIUM
COPPER
SOILS
CONTAMINATION
SPAIN
CROPS
FARMS
ZINC
INTAKE
RICE
UPTAKE
CEREALS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
EUROPE
GRAMINEAE
LILIOPSIDA
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
METALS
PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WESTERN EUROPE
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)