. 2023 Sep 6;12(18):3340. doi: 10.3390/foods12183340

Table 1.

Identification of heavy metals in fruits and vegetables.

Food Type	Country	Potential Sources	Identified Heavy Metals	Concentrations	Year	References
Grain, maize	China	Sewage effluent	Cr²⁺	0.08–0.38 mg/kg	2015	[54]
			Pb²⁺	0.02–0.013 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	0.16–0.85 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	0.16–0.53 mg/kg
Lettuce	Spain	Air industrialization and vehicles	Ni²⁺	< 0.02 mg/kg	2018	[55]
			Hg²⁺	< 0.008 mg/kg
			As³⁺	< 0.005 mg/kg
			Cd²⁺	< 0.005 mg/kg
	Florida, USA	Different sources	As³⁺	27.3 mg/kg	2017	[56]
	Romania	Intensive agriculture, high pollution	Cd²⁺	0.97–1.52 mg/kg	2021	[62]
			Cu²⁺	8.1–11.8 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.82–2.22 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	59.5–139.5 mg/kg
Tomato	Romania	Multiple sources	Cu²⁺	32.5–46.0 µg/g	2023	[63]
			Mn²⁺	13.0–13.5 µg/g
			Fe²⁺	30.5–33.5 µg/g
			Cd²⁺	nd–0.1 µg/g
			Pb²⁺	0.65–0.75 µg/g
			Zn²⁺	4.5–9.5 µg/g
			Co²⁺	nd–2.2 µg/g
Radish	India	Multiple sources	Cu²⁺	5.96 mg/kg	2008	[64]
Potato	Egypt	Inadequately treated water	Cu²⁺	0.83 mg/kg	2018	[65]
	China		Cu²⁺	1.03 mg/kg	2009	[66]
			Cr²⁺	0.03 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.067 mg/kg
			Cd²⁺	0.015 mg/kg
	Bangladesh	Multiple sources	As³⁺	0.006 mg/kg	2016	[59]
			Cd²⁺	0.013 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.007 mg/kg
			Cr²⁺	0.528 mg/kg
			Mn²⁺	6.928 mg/kg
			Ni²⁺	0.643 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	4.3 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	3.019 mg/kg
White potato	Romania	Intensive agriculture, high pollution	Cd²⁺	0.13–0.34 mg/kg	2021	[62]
			Cu²⁺	0.1–0.24 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.3–0.4 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	41.0–94.5 mg/kg
Red potato			Cd²⁺	0.16–0.46 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	5.4–6.4 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.37–1.03 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	56.5–64.0 mg/kg
Grape—white varieties	Croatia	The excessive use of blue vitriol as a fungicide	V²⁺	12–59 ng/g	2008	[58]
			Cr²⁺	18–203 ng/g
			Mn²⁺	14–180 ng/g
			Fe²⁺	5–40 ng/g
			Ni²⁺	1–7 ng/g
			Cu²⁺	52–533 ng/g
			Zn²⁺	5–43 ng/g
			As³⁺	0.3–3.8 ng/g
			Pb²⁺	1–21 ng/g
Grape—red varieties	Croatia	The excessive use of blue vitriol as a fungicide	V²⁺	24–63 ng/g
			Cr²⁺	11–175 ng/g
			Mn²⁺	82–229 ng/g
			Fe²⁺	107–204 ng/g
			Ni²⁺	3–6 ng/g
			Cu²⁺	55–210 ng/g
			Zn²⁺	103–207 ng/g
			As³⁺	0.2–4.9 ng/g
			Pb²⁺	2–39 ng/g
Grapes	Egypt	Multiple sources	Cd²⁺	nd	2019	[53]
			Cr²⁺	nd–1.06 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	0.72–3.52 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	nd
			Ni²⁺	0.3–1.78 mg/kg
Banana	Bangladesh	Multiple sources	As³⁺	nd	2016	[59]
			Cd²⁺	nd
			Pb²⁺	0.003 mg/kg
			Cr²⁺	0.317 mg/kg
			Mn²⁺	10.74 mg/kg
			Ni²⁺	0.037 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	0.946 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	0.235 mg/kg
Mango	Bangladesh	Multiple sources	As³⁺	0.013 mg/kg	2016	[59]
			Cd²⁺	0.005 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.642 mg/kg
			Cr²⁺	0.893 mg/kg
			Mn²⁺	6.06 mg/kg
			Ni²⁺	0.293 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	7.891 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	0.604 mg/kg
Onion	Romania	Intensive agriculture, high pollution	Cd²⁺	0.17–0.34 mg/kg	2021	[62]
			Cu²⁺	3.6–12.3 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.16–0.18 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	28.0–47.0 mg/kg
Carrot	Romania	Intensive agriculture, high pollution	Cd²⁺	0.27–0.69 mg/kg	2021	[62]
			Cu²⁺	6.0–9.4 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.54–0.94 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	51.0–75.5 mg/kg
Beans	Romania	Intensive agriculture, high pollution	Cd²⁺	0.04–0.05 mg/kg	2021	[62]
			Cu²⁺	7.0–11.1 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	0.08–0.52 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	58.5–91.0 mg/kg
Apples	Kosovo	Intensive mining and smelting activities	Pb²⁺	1.49–2.17 mg/kg	2019	[67]
			Cd²⁺	0.17–0.21 mg/kg
			Cr²⁺	8.22–11.6 mg/kg
			Ni²⁺	15.33–17.2 mg/kg
			As³⁺	nd–0.009 mg/kg
			Zn²⁺	1.51–2.03 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	1.05–2.87 mg/kg
			Fe²⁺	2.27–3.12 mg/kg
	Egypt	Multiple sources	Cd²⁺	nd	2019	[53]
			Cr²⁺	nd–1.06 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	0.72–3.52 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	nd
			Ni²⁺	0.3–1.78 mg/kg
	Ukraine	Nature management conflicts; intensive heavy industry	Cr²⁺	0.0225–0.246 mg/kg	2021	[59]
			Zn²⁺	0.964–4.192 mg/kg
			Cu²⁺	0.766–1.264 mg/kg
			Cd²⁺	0.088–0.284 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	1.347–3.886 mg/kg
Oranges	Egypt	Multiple sources	Cd²⁺	nd	2019	[53]
			Cr²⁺	nd
			Cu²⁺	0.36–2.2 mg/kg
			Pb²⁺	nd
			Ni²⁺	0.06–0.38 mg/kg