Contaminants in the Soil and Typical Crops of the Pannonian Region of Slovenia

Žiga Jelen, Milan Svetec, Peter Majerič, Stanislav Kapun, Lara Resman, Tatjana Čeh, Granit Hajra and Rebeka Rudolf ()
Additional contact information
Žiga Jelen: Pomurje Science and Innovation Centre, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Milan Svetec: Pomurje Science and Innovation Centre, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Peter Majerič: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Stanislav Kapun: Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, Slovenia Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, Murska Sobota, Štefana Kovača 40, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Lara Resman: Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, Slovenia Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, Murska Sobota, Štefana Kovača 40, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Tatjana Čeh: Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, Slovenia Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, Murska Sobota, Štefana Kovača 40, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Granit Hajra: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Rebeka Rudolf: Pomurje Science and Innovation Centre, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: Soil contamination and the uptake of pollutants by food crops are widespread issues that vary greatly by region and are influenced by the mineral composition of the soil and local human activities. The Pannonian region, where agriculture has played a key role since Roman times, has been particularly impacted by the long-standing agricultural and industrial practices. While soil contamination with heavy metals is monitored by the Slovenian government, microplastic contamination and the uptake of pollutants into food crops have yet to become a regular component of monitoring efforts. In this study, we conducted a preliminary investigation into soil and crop contamination across the Pannonian region, focusing on identifying harmful contaminants and their potential uptake into food crops. Both soil and crop samples were analyzed for the presence of heavy metals with proven methods such as atomic absorption spectrometry (FASS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS), atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was found to be a potentially faster method of obtaining data on soil composition. Special attention was also given to the potential presence of microplastics in the region’s soils.

Keywords: soil contamination; Pannonia; soil; food crops; heavy metals; FASS; GF-AAS; ICP-MS; AFS; EDS; microplastics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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