title: Heavy metal risk assessment for potatoes grown in overused phosphate-fertilized soils.
abstract: The long-term application of phosphate fertilizers on vegetable production fields has raised concerns about the potential health risks of heavy metal contamination of crops grown on contaminated soils in the Hamadan province, western Iran. This study found that long-term fertilizer use led to a growing accumulation of heavy metals in soils. High concentrations of elemental As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were found in potatoes sampled from overused phosphate-fertilized soils, which increased the daily intake of metals in food. However, the ingestion of potatoes from soils affected by phosphate fertilizers posed a low health risk when compared with the health risk index of <1 for heavy metals. Nevertheless, heavy metal concentrations should be periodically monitored in vegetables grown in these soils. It would also be beneficial to implement effective remediation technologies to minimize possible impacts on human health.
authors.affiliation: Islamic Azad University, Hamedan Branch, Hamedan, Iran. cheraghi@iauh.ac.ir
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cheraghi
authors.forename: Bahareh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lorestani
authors.forename: Hajar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merrikhpour
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rouniasi
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005308:Fertilizers; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants