The Effects of Cr/Cd Contamination on Vegetable Cultivars in Hainan Province

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr), as nonessential elements, are considered as very important pollutants, which greatly affects human health. To reduce food chain risk for vegetable soils contaminated by Cd, and/or Cr, the pot experiments were conducted to investigate Cd or Cr uptake by 9 cultivars of familiar leaf vegetables and to screen leaf vegetables with lower Cd or Cr content in Hainan Province. The results showed that the leaf Cd or Cr contents of 8 vegetables were lower than national limit of contaminants in foods under the treatments of 0.61 mg/kg Cd and 3.07 mg/kg Cd. Only for Lactuca sativa var. longifoliaf, Cd accumulation (fresh weight, 0.2275 mg/kg) exceeded the limit of Cd (0.2 mg/kg) under the treatments (3.07 mg/kg Cd and 104 mg/kg Cr). About Cr accumulation, all tested vegetables were lower than national limit of Cr (0.5 mg/kg). Considering the yield and Cd content (fresh weight), Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis (181.5 g, 0.0172 mg/kg) has the greatest advantage. Brassica pekinensis (11.824 g, 0.0204 mg/kg), Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis 328 (11.8 g, 0.0129 mg/kg) and Lactuca sativa var. ramose (8.2 g, 0.0144 mg/kg) have also the relative advantage.