Heavy metals in Cabbage

Cabbage overview

Cabbage in the HMI library has 944 reported results for lead, cadmium, total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, total mercury, nickel, chromium, aluminium, tin, antimony, uranium, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, V, Se, Ag, As, Ba, Hg, Mo, Sr, Ti and Tl from 51 sources.^{1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2022FY2018-FY2020 TDS Elements Analytical ResultsFDA Total Diet StudyRead source →3Alimohammadi M, Younesian M, Madihi-Bidgoli S, Nabizadeh Nodehi R, Jahed Khaniki GR, Hadi M, Ghanbari F · 2018Heavy metal(oid)s concentration in Tehran supermarket vegetables: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessmentToxin ReviewsRead source →4Antoine JMR, Hoo Fung LA, Grant CN · 2017Assessment of the potential health risks associated with the aluminium, arsenic, cadmium and lead content in selected fruits and vegetables grown in JamaicaToxicology Reports 4 (2017) 181-187Read source →5Armand R, Rafati L, Mohammadi H, Armand N · 2026Probabilistic carcinogenic and health risk assessment of heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage from Behbahan, Iran, using Monte Carlo simulationScientific ReportsRead source →6Unknown authors · 2021Total and bioaccessible heavy metals in cabbagePeer-reviewed articleRead source →} WHO GEMS/Food submissions reported lead in cabbage, as sold from 3,881 results in 5 reporting regions, with subgroup medians from 2.3 to 185 µg/kg.^{1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →} In the US Total Diet Study, cabbage, as sold had a median lead result below 4 µg/kg across 27 composites from 2017–2020.^{2U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2022FY2018-FY2020 TDS Elements Analytical ResultsFDA Total Diet StudyRead source →}

Across 10 other studies of ordinary farms and markets, reported lead means and medians on an as-sold or fresh-weight basis ranged from 3 µg/kg (Antoine et al. 2017) to 1,660 µg/kg (Guerra et al. 2012).^{4Antoine JMR, Hoo Fung LA, Grant CN · 2017Assessment of the potential health risks associated with the aluminium, arsenic, cadmium and lead content in selected fruits and vegetables grown in JamaicaToxicology Reports 4 (2017) 181-187Read source →8Guerra F, Trevizam AR, Muraoka T, Marcante NC, Canniatti-Brazaca SG · 2012Heavy metals in vegetables and potential risk for human healthScientia Agricola 69(1):54-60Read source →} For cadmium, 11 studies on an as-sold or fresh-weight basis reported means and medians from 3 µg/kg (Alimohammadi et al. 2018) to 350 µg/kg (authors 2021).^{3Alimohammadi M, Younesian M, Madihi-Bidgoli S, Nabizadeh Nodehi R, Jahed Khaniki GR, Hadi M, Ghanbari F · 2018Heavy metal(oid)s concentration in Tehran supermarket vegetables: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessmentToxin ReviewsRead source →6Unknown authors · 2021Total and bioaccessible heavy metals in cabbagePeer-reviewed articleRead source →} Higher results came from contaminated or exposed settings rather than ordinary supply. Cabbage, as sold from Ruschita (mining area R) (mining-affected area) had lead higher at 900 µg/kg, against 50 µg/kg for Borlova (reference area) in the same study.^{7Iosif Gergen, Monica Harmanescu · 2012Application of principal component analysis in the pollution assessment with heavy metals of vegetable food chain in the old mining areasChemistry Central Journal6:156Read source →}

For a buyer the practical points are the form bought, the basis a result is reported on, where the cabbage came from and the laboratory’s reporting limit. Testing finds contamination but does not remove it.

What counts as cabbage

This page covers cabbage, as sold (944 results).^{1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2022FY2018-FY2020 TDS Elements Analytical ResultsFDA Total Diet StudyRead source →3Alimohammadi M, Younesian M, Madihi-Bidgoli S, Nabizadeh Nodehi R, Jahed Khaniki GR, Hadi M, Ghanbari F · 2018Heavy metal(oid)s concentration in Tehran supermarket vegetables: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessmentToxin ReviewsRead source →4Antoine JMR, Hoo Fung LA, Grant CN · 2017Assessment of the potential health risks associated with the aluminium, arsenic, cadmium and lead content in selected fruits and vegetables grown in JamaicaToxicology Reports 4 (2017) 181-187Read source →5Armand R, Rafati L, Mohammadi H, Armand N · 2026Probabilistic carcinogenic and health risk assessment of heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage from Behbahan, Iran, using Monte Carlo simulationScientific ReportsRead source →6Unknown authors · 2021Total and bioaccessible heavy metals in cabbagePeer-reviewed articleRead source →}

Results stay on the basis each source reports: as sold or fresh weight, dry weight, or unstated. Dry-weight, as-sold and unstated results are never pooled, and no moisture conversion is applied.

Heavy metal contamination profile of cabbage

The table holds every extracted cabbage result: one row for each statistic a source reports for a form, group and metal, 944 rows in all, grouped by metal and form; percentiles, ranges and maxima for the same samples as a mean or median are shown on that row.^{1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2022FY2018-FY2020 TDS Elements Analytical ResultsFDA Total Diet StudyRead source →3Alimohammadi M, Younesian M, Madihi-Bidgoli S, Nabizadeh Nodehi R, Jahed Khaniki GR, Hadi M, Ghanbari F · 2018Heavy metal(oid)s concentration in Tehran supermarket vegetables: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessmentToxin ReviewsRead source →4Antoine JMR, Hoo Fung LA, Grant CN · 2017Assessment of the potential health risks associated with the aluminium, arsenic, cadmium and lead content in selected fruits and vegetables grown in JamaicaToxicology Reports 4 (2017) 181-187Read source →5Armand R, Rafati L, Mohammadi H, Armand N · 2026Probabilistic carcinogenic and health risk assessment of heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage from Behbahan, Iran, using Monte Carlo simulationScientific ReportsRead source →6Unknown authors · 2021Total and bioaccessible heavy metals in cabbagePeer-reviewed articleRead source →} Monitoring medians are HMI calculations from individual submissions; non-detects remain intervals between zero and the reporting limit and are never read as zero.^{1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →}

494 rows can be rated against an HMI reference for the same form and basis, 44 rows have a direct same-study comparison, and the rest stay unrated with the reason recorded. 39 values from 13 sources failed a check against their own source and are shown but not compared.^{5Armand R, Rafati L, Mohammadi H, Armand N · 2026Probabilistic carcinogenic and health risk assessment of heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage from Behbahan, Iran, using Monte Carlo simulationScientific ReportsRead source →7Iosif Gergen, Monica Harmanescu · 2012Application of principal component analysis in the pollution assessment with heavy metals of vegetable food chain in the old mining areasChemistry Central Journal6:156Read source →9Ametepey ST, Cobbina SJ, Akpabey FJ, Duwiejua AB, Atule AA · 2018Determination of heavy metals in selected vegetables from markets in Tamale Metropolis, GhanaInternational Journal of Food ContaminationRead source →10Hossain AMMM, Islam MS, Mamun MM, Al-Jonaed HM, Imran M, Rahman MH, Kazi MAI, Elahi SF · 2016Environmental surveillance of commonly-grown vegetables for investigating potential lead and chromium contamination intensification in BangladeshSpringerPlusRead source →11Unknown authors · 2025Detection of heavy metals concentration in vegetables andPeer-reviewed articleRead source →12Liang G, Gong W, Li B, Zuo J, Pan L, Liu X · 2019Analysis of Heavy Metals in Foodstuffs and an Assessment of the Health Risks to the General Public via Consumption in Beijing, ChinaInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthRead source →13Okonofua ES, Komolafe AS, Emeribe CN, Ogbomida ET, Butu AW · 2024Analysis of Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Water, Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and Tilapia Fish (Oreochromis niloticus) from Unreclaimed Mining PitsEarth Sciences PakistanRead source →14Sultana R, Tanvir RU, Hussain KA, Chamon AS, Mondol MN · 2022Heavy Metals in Commonly Consumed Root and Leafy Vegetables in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, and Assessment of Associated Public Health RisksEnvironmental Systems ResearchRead source →15Jiang Y, Ma J, Ruan X · 2020Compound health risk assessment of cumulative heavy metal exposure: A case study of a village near a battery factory in Henan Province, ChinaEnvironmental Science: Processes & ImpactsRead source →16Wang B, Liu Y, Wang H, Cui L, Zhang Z, Guo J, Liu S, Cui W · 2020Contamination and health risk assessment of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum from a total diet study of Jilin Province, ChinaFood Science & NutritionRead source →17Silva NRN, Attanayake CP, Vitharana WAU, Weerasinghe P · 2025Accumulation of potentially toxic trace elements in vegetables collected from selected vegetable-based cropping systems in Sri Lanka, and estimation of their dietary intakesJournal of Dry Zone Agriculture 2025, 11(1):1-16Read source →18Pan X-D, Wu P-G, Jiang X-G · 2016Levels and potential health risk of heavy metals in marketed vegetables in Zhejiang, ChinaScientific ReportsRead source →19Imongben CO, Tomori WB, Umoru PE, Oyerinde WA · 2026Determination of some heavy metals and their potential risk in selected vegetables on sale within Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, NigeriaWorld NutritionRead source →}