Nitrates in vegetables from local markets in Split

Autor: Luetić, Sanja, Knezović, Zlatka, Majić, Zrinka, Jurčić, Katarina, Tripković, Ksenija
Přispěvatelé: Kolarić, Branko, Krivohlavek, Adela, Bošnir, Jasna, Šikić, Sandra
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Popis: The increased demand for vegetables encourages the development of intensive agriculture, leading to the use of large amounts of fertilizers that are a source of nitrates. High levels of nitrate in the soil are correlated with its higher content in the leaves of green plants. Nitrates are slightly toxic to the human body. However, their metabolites nitrites and nitrosamines can be a health risk. Regulation 1881/2006 prescribes, among other contaminants, the maximum levels of nitrates in vegetables. The Regulation covers only three types of leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, and rucola) while some of them like swiss chard, various cabbages, which are very common in the diet of the local population, are not included in the Regulation. Forty-five samples of different vegetables from local markets, produced on local farms, were sampled in the period May-July. Determination of nitrate concentrations was carried out on high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with a diode array detector (DAD). All of the analysed samples contained nitrates. There was no exceedance of the maximum levels set in Regulation 1881/2006. The highest concentrations were found in swiss chard and rucola samples, and the lowest in carrot samples. Comparing the results with the results of other similar researches, higher values were obtained. Therefore, it is planned to continue the research on a larger number of samples and include more plant species. Also, it is planned to carry out sampling in different times of the year in order to determine if there are any differences in nitrate content and how much they differ depending on the season.
Databáze: OpenAIRE