title: Potential health concerns of trace elements and mineral content in commonly consumed greenhouse vegetables in Isfahan, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate the potential health concerns of trace elements and mineral content of commonly consumed greenhouse vegetables in Isfahan, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six kinds of greenhouse vegetables namely; Raphanus sativus (Radish), Cucumis sativus (Cucumber), Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato), green Capsicum annuum (Green bell pepper), yellow C. annuum (Yellow bell pepper), and red C. annuum (Red bell pepper) were collected from Isfahan greenhouses, between December 2012 and March 2013. The vegetables were analyzed in order to determine the concentrations of trace elements and trace minerals using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of INAA showed that the concentrations of aluminum, bromine, cobalt, rubidium and strontium of these vegetables were varied from 7.2 to 28.4 mg/kg, 0.6-11.7 mg/kg, 0.1-0.5 mg/kg, 4.2-8.4 mg/kg, and 12.0-141.0 mg/kg, respectively. The trace mineral concentrations of As, Cr, Cs, Sc, Th, and U in all of the samples were less than the defined tolerable upper intake level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study revealed that considering the measured trace elements and mineral content levels, Isfahan greenhouse vegetables do not impose any serious health harmful effects for individuals in the studied area due to their meal consumptions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Advance Sciences and Technologies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Khadijeh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rezaee-Ebrahim-Saraee
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Miniatori Reactor, Isfahan Nuclear Center, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi Rezvani
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fard
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Medical Engineering, and Medical Students Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ; Department of Medical Radiation Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Milad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi
keywords: Greenhouse vegetables; instrumental neutron activation analysis; trace elements; trace minerals