AI Article Synopsis

  • A study analyzed eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs), including nickel, copper, and cadmium, in wolfberries and their soil to assess ecological and health risks.
  • The results showed that while most soil PTE concentrations were within safe limits, cadmium levels in wolfberries exceeded standards at one site, highlighting concerns about accumulation.
  • Geostatistical methods indicated natural sources were the primary contributors to PTEs in the soil, and overall health risks from consuming wolfberries appeared low, informing safe cultivation practices.

Article Abstract

Eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs, including nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg)) in Lycium barbarum L. (wolfberries) and the associated root soil from a genuine producing area were analyzed. The potential ecological risk of PTEs in the soil and the health risk of PTEs through wolfberry consumption were determined. Geostatistical methods were used to predict the PTE concentrations in the wolfberries and soil. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to identify the source of PTEs in the soil. The PTE concentrations in the soils were within the standard limits, and Cd in the wolfberries exceeded the standard limit at only one site. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) order for the different PTEs was Cd > Cu > 1 > Zn > Cr > As > Ni > Pb, indicating that Cd and Cu were highly accumulated in wolfberries. The multiple regression models for Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, and Cr concentrations in the wolfberries exhibited good correlations (p < 0.1). The ecological risk for Hg in the soil was high, whereas the risks for the remaining PTEs were mostly medium or low. Health risks for inhabitants through wolfberry consumption were not obvious. The spatial distributions of the PTEs in the soil differed from the PTE concentrations in the wolfberries. Source identification results were in the order of natural source (48.2%) > industrial activity source (27.8%) > agricultural activity source (14.5%) > transportation source (9.5%). The present study can guide the site selection of wolfberry cultivation and ensure the safety of wolfberry products when considering PTE contamination.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9739834PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316186DOI Listing

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