title: Metal uptake in a peri-urban Lactuca sativa cultivated area.
abstract: In this study, two Lactuca sativa crops grown in a net-protected site and an unprotected site were compared. The results showed metals were accumulated by Lactuca sativa. Higher metal accumulation in lettuce grown in the unprotected parcel was established, and the only significant differences in their physicochemical properties were cation exchange capacity and exposure to sunlight. Exposure to the sun may translate into higher soil-plant flux of water and/or higher decomposition rate of organic matter, which may augment the mobilization of metals into the plant, and therefore lead to higher noxious metal accumulation on the crops. Also, EDTA was explored as a possible extractant that could predict the bioavailablity of metals to the lettuce. Our results did not show a good agreement between the metal transferred from soil to leaves and the EDTA extracted metals, although some tendencies were found for the metal transfer from soil to roots. It is predicted that many developing countries will continue and/or increase the use of waste water for the irrigation of crops despite the health risks. Different solutions have been explored to diminish the availability of the metals in the soils. Our study shows that an action as simple as placing a net over the parcel could help diminish the accumulation of metals into the crops of a rapidly expanding peri-urban agricultural system.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico. caplh@fciencias.unam.mx
authors.forename: Claudia Ponce
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: De Leon
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cram
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Murguia
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanegas
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001682:Biological Availability; D002947:Cities; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006812:Humic Substances; D018545:Lactuca / Q000378:metabolism*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008800:Mexico; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006812:Humic Substances; D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004492:Edetic Acid