Table 2.

Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ba and Al in vegetables sampled from urban gardens in NYC and Buffalo, NY.

Metal	Veg type	Measured Values					Market Basket Comparisonc				Guidance Value (EC, 2006)
		Meana	Min	Mediana	Max	%ND	Min	Media n	95th pct.	Max
Pb	Fruit	0.018	0.0023b	0.012	0.21	46%	<0.005	<0.005	0.009	0.04	0.1
	Leafy	0.099	0.010b	0.059	0.59	7%	<0.004	<0.004	0.022	0.14	0.3
	Herb	0.44	0.085	0.25	2.1	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Root	0.20	0.014b	0.089	1.9	9%	<0.006	<0.006	0.011	0.033	0.1
Cd	Fruit	0.014	0.0021b	0.0076	0.36	81%	<0.001	0.006	0.026	0.053	0.05
	Leafy	0.028	<0.013	0.019	0.20	40%	0.002	0.039	0.21	0.52	0.2
	Herb	0.023	<0.029	0.015	0.060	75%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.2
	Root	0.022	<0.013	0.015	0.074	63%	<0.002	0.015	0.038	0.081	0.1
Ba	Fruit	0.24	0.028	0.11	1.5	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Leafy	3.7	0.37	2.4	22	0%	0.16	0.59	3.2	3.7	N/A
	Herb	4.7	0.54	4.4	14	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Root	2.5	0.32	2.3	8.9	0%	1.1	2.4	3.7	4.1	N/A
Al	Fruit	0.30	0.079	0.25	1.7	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Leafy	2.4	0.17	1.3	17	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Herb	5.2	0.88	2.9	39	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Root	0.89	0.36	0.64	3.6	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

All concentrations are reported in mg kg⁻¹ f.w. Sample sizes for each category: fruit (80), leafy (67), herb (16), and root (32).

^aResults below the detection limit were considered equal to half the detection limit in determining mean and median values.

^bMinimum detected concentration. Some samples in which Pb and/or Cd were not detected had a detection limit higher than this concentration. Detection limits ranged up to 0.038 mg kg⁻¹ f.w. for Pb and 0.021 mg kg⁻¹ f.w. for Cd.

^cMarket basket concentrations for Pb and Cd are based on graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy analytical results reported by the US FDA for the Total Diet Study. Results were for 384 fruit, 280 leafy, and 360 root vegetable samples (US FDA, 2010, 2007). We measured market-basket concentrations for Ba in vegetables (6 root and 9 leafy samples) purchased at three markets in the Ithaca, NY, area.