Major and Trace Elements in Moldavian Orchard Soil and Fruits: Assessment of Anthropogenic Contamination

Inga Zinicovscaia, Rodica Sturza, Octavian Duliu, Dmitrii Grozdov, Svetlana Gundorina, Aliona Ghendov-Mosanu and Gheorghe Duca
Additional contact information
Inga Zinicovscaia: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie Street 6, 1419890 Dubna, Russian
Rodica Sturza: The Institute of Chemistry, 3, Academiei Street, 2028 Chisinau, Moldova
Octavian Duliu: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie Street 6, 1419890 Dubna, Russian
Dmitrii Grozdov: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie Street 6, 1419890 Dubna, Russian
Svetlana Gundorina: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie Street 6, 1419890 Dubna, Russian
Aliona Ghendov-Mosanu: Faculty of Food Technology, Technical University of Moldova, 168, Stefan cel Mare Bv., 2004 Chisinau, Moldova
Gheorghe Duca: The Institute of Chemistry, 3, Academiei Street, 2028 Chisinau, Moldova

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: The correct assessment of the presence of potentially contaminating elements in soil, as well as in fruits cultivated and harvested from the same places has major importance for both the environment and human health. To address this task, in the case of the Republic of Moldova where the fruit production has a significant contribution to the gross domestic product, the mass fractions of 37 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Si, K, Mn, Fe, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Th, and U) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in soil collected from four Moldavian orchards. In the case of three types of fruits, grapes, apples, and plums, all of them collected from the same places, only 22 elements (Na, Mg, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Th, and U) were detected. The enrichment factor, contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, as well as pollution load index were calculated to assess the soil contamination. At the same time, the metal uptake from the soil into fruits was estimated by means of transfer factors. Soil samples showed for almost all elements mass fractions closer to the upper continental crust with the exception of a slightly increased content of As, Br, and Sb, but without overpassing the officially defined alarm thresholds. In the case of fruits, the hazard quotients for all elements with the exception of Sb in fruits collected in two orchards were below unity. A subsequent discriminant analysis allowed grouping all fruits according to their type and provenance.

Keywords: fruit orchard; metal uptake by plants; potentially hazardous elements; environmental pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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