Iron content in the fruits of the grapevines and peach trees growing near the mining and smelting complex Bor, east Serbia

Abstract

The samples of fruits of the grapevine ( Vitis vinifera , cultivar Tamjanika) and the peach tree ( Prunus persica L. Batech ) from the Bor region were analyzed using an ICP-OES to determine the content of iron (Fe). This was done in order to assess possible health risks related to this essential element; the region of Bor’s municipality is known as one of the most polluted areas in Serbia. The content of Fe in unwashed grapes seems not to be affected by the mining/metallurgical activities, as it was either in the normal concentration range or was at even lower than critical deficiency concentration in plants (21.8-98 mg/kg). The level of Fe in the samples of peaches ranged from 62.4 to 1418 mg/kg, which is much higher than that in grape samples and in one case, even higher than the phytotoxic threshold. The values of the enrichment factor (EF) were lower than 2 in the case of grape samples, while for peach samples, these values ranged from rather low (0.99) to extremely high (22.66). Based on the herein obtained results, in the region of Bor, it seems that the cultivation of grapevine should be favored over the cultivation of peach trees. SADRŽAJ GVOŽĐA U PLODOVIMA VINOVe LOZe I BRESKVE KOJE RASTU U BLIZINI RUDARSKO-TOPIONICARSKOG KOMPLEKSA BOR, ISTOCNA SRBIJA Uzorci plodova vinove loze ( Vitis vinifera , sorta Tamjanika) i vinogradarske breskve ( Prunus persica L. Batech) iz regiona Bora su analizirani metodom ICP-OES, kako bi se odredio sadržaj gvožđa (Fe). Analize su vrsene da bi se procenio moguci zdravstveni rizik povezan sa ovim esencijalnim elementom; poznato je da je region Borske opstine jedan od najzagađenijih predela u Srbiji. Cini se da rudarsko-metalurske aktivnosti ne uticu na sadržaj Fe kod vinove loze, jer je isti bio ili u okviru koncentracija normalnih za vecinu biljaka ili cak niži od kriticne koncentracije deficijencije (21.8-98 mg/kg). Koncentracija Fe u uzorcima breskve je bila u opsegu od 62.4-1418 mg/kg, sto je mnogo vise nego u uzorcima grožđa i u jednom slucaju cak iznad granice fitotoksicnosti. Vrednosti faktora obogacenja bile su manje od 2 u slucaju uzoraka grožđa, dok su se kod uzoraka breskve ove vrednosti kretale od niskih (0,99) do ekstremno visokih (22,66). Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata, u borskom regionu, cini se da bi se trebalo forsirati uzgoj grožđa u odnosu na uzgoj breskve. HIGHLIGHTS Iron (Fe) represents one of the key constituents of particulate matter originating from the copper smelter plant in Bor. The influence of anthropogenic activities on the Fe content in the investigated fruits was more obvious and more considerable in the case of peach samples. The concentration of Fe in peach samples was much higher than in grapes, and in one case even higher than the phytotoxic threshold. The content of Fe in grapes was in the range of normal concentrations in plants or, in many cases, lower than the critical deficiency concentration.