title: Does intake of trace elements through urban gardening in Copenhagen pose a risk to human health?
abstract: This study investigates the potential health risk from urban gardening. The concentrations of the trace elements arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in five common garden crops from three garden sites in Copenhagen were measured. Concentrations (mg/kg dw) of As were 0.002-0.21, Cd 0.03-0.25, Cr < 0.09-0.38, Cu 1.8-8.7, Ni < 0.23-0.62, Pb 0.05-1.56, and Zn 10-86. Generally, elemental concentrations in the crops do not reflect soil concentrations, nor exceed legal standards for Cd and Pb in food. Hazard quotients (HQs) were calculated from soil ingestion, vegetable consumption, measured trace element concentrations and tolerable intake levels. The HQs for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn do not indicate a health risk through urban gardening in Copenhagen. Exposure to Pb contaminated sites may lead to unacceptable risk not caused by vegetable consumption but by unintentional soil ingestion.
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Marlies
authors: M
authors: Warming
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: guldborg@plen.ku.dk.
authors: Mette G
authors: MG
authors: Hansen
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Peter E
authors: PE
authors: Holm
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Jakob
authors: J
authors: Magid
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Thomas H
authors: TH
authors: Hansen
authors: Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljoevej 113, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Trapp
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry*; D003718:Denmark; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D051639:Gardening / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014507:Urbanization
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Hazard quotients; Heavy metals; Risk assessment; Trace elements; Urban gardening; Urban soils