Vegetables
Completeness scorecard
Deterministic gap audit — no score is composite, no cell is LLM-judged. Each chip is re-derivable by re-running tools/evidence/build-ingredient-scorecard.mjs. review: residuals and missing data are worked autonomously via data/evidence/ingredient-scorecard-review-flags.csv and wiki/completeness-gaps.md.
| Dimension | Status | What’s there (auditable counts) | What’s missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Analyte coverage (tier: staple) | OK | 8/10 HMTc analytes, total n=205 | — |
| D2 Regional coverage | OK | 54 jurisdictions, top CN 22% | — |
| D3 Anthropogenic evidence | GAP | 9 soil + 3 irrigation-water + 4 agricultural-soil + 12 drinking-water; no supply-chain link | link a supply-chain/ hub page |
| D4 Background mechanism | OK | section present, 4 drivers, 23 upstream source(s) | — |
| D5 Pooling depth | THIN | Pb POOLABLE, Cd CONFIDENT, iAs THIN, tHg THIN, Ni THIN, Al POOLABLE, tAs CONFIDENT, Cr CONFIDENT, Sn POOLABLE | iAs: needs 2 distinct source(s); tHg: needs 1 distinct source(s); Ni: needs 2 distinct source(s) |
| D6 Speciation | OK | iAs, tHg, tAs declared | — |
| D7 Basis declaration | GAP | 0/10 populated cells declare a basis token | 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, tAs, Cr, Sn, U |
| D8 Provenance integrity | GAP | 16 claims checked, 16 supported; 21 citations, 0 orphan, 2 foreign | 2 foreign citation(s) not naming vegetables: chekri2019-french-infant-toddler-tds-trace-elements, fda-tds-elements-2018-2020; 1 contributing source(s) malformed (strict): open2017-open-infants-dietary-arsenic |
| D9 Mitigation | OK | 4 cited lever(s), 6 mitigation/ link(s) | — |
| D10 Regulatory coverage | OK | 2 rule link(s), 0 metal(s) covered | unmapped analytes: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, tAs, Cr, Sn |
| D11 Standards-readiness | NOT-READY | priority: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, tAs, Cr, Sn; pairing 6 paired, 3 single, 0 unpaired | Pb: POOLABLE; iAs: THIN, needs 2 distinct source(s); tHg: THIN, needs 1 distinct source(s); Ni: THIN, needs 2 distinct source(s); Al: POOLABLE; Sn: POOLABLE; basis: 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, tAs, Cr, Sn, U |
| Principle balance | flag | consumer-protection 1.00, contamination-reduction 1.00, brand-value 0.50, legal-defensibility 0.50, scale 0.25 | spread 0.75 — starved: scale |
Chekri et al. 2019 reports soups/purees and vegetable-based ready-to-eat meals for French infants and toddlers, but does not split root from non-root vegetables in the main trace-element table. chekri2019-french-infant-toddler-tds-trace-elements
Heavy metal contamination profile
Per-analyte snapshot derived from the machine-readable contamination_profile in the frontmatter above. data gap indicates the literature has been reviewed for this commodity-analyte combination and no usable occurrence data was found (a finding, not a placeholder). The Key sources column shows the top 2-3 contributing sources by year and sample size, with numbered wikilink aliases.
| Analyte | Coverage | Typical (ppb) | p95 (ppb) | Confidence | Key sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cd | — | — | — | — | — |
| iAs | — | — | — | — | — |
| tAs | — | — | — | — | — |
| tHg | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ni | — | — | — | — | — |
| Al | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cr | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sn | — | — | — | — | — |
| U | — | — | — | — | — |
Ranges by source, region, and variety
Vegetable heavy-metal load tracks four dimensions that the corpus documents consistently. First, plant-tissue type drives the dominant analyte: leafy vegetables (leafy greens, spinach, lettuce, parsley) accumulate Cd and Pb via aerial deposition and rapid xylem-to-leaf transport at concentrations multiples higher than root or fruit vegetables; root vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes) accumulate Pb at the soil-root interface and Cd via cortical uptake; fruit vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash) carry the lowest baseline because the fruit-loading pathway concentrates metals less efficiently than leaf or root tissues. Second, soil-source geography drives absolute levels: industrialized-region production (East Kolkata wetlands per Agarwal 2022, Bangladeshi vegetable plots per Samma 2024, Nigerian Kaduna metropolis fields per Imongben 2026) carries multiple-fold elevated Pb, Cd, and Ni relative to background. Third, irrigation-water quality and atmospheric-deposition load explain a substantial fraction of cross-regional variance (Dearing 2025 documents cyclone-driven sediment deposition elevating post-event vegetable metal load in New Zealand; Pulze 2025 documents Mount Etna volcanic-ash deposition elevating vegetable metal load in surrounding agricultural land). Fourth, market-channel and post-harvest handling (urban-garden production per Rossini-Oliva 2024 documents elevated levels relative to commercial supply, reflecting urban-soil legacy contamination).
National total-diet-study comparisons document the spread: French TDS (Chekri 2019), Finnish FinDiet (Suomi 2023), Portuguese TDS (Ventura 2025), Irish TDS (FSAI 2016), Hong Kong TDS (CFS 2013, CFS 2012), German BfR MEAL (Fechner 2022), Chinese 6th TDS (Zhao 2022), and US FDA TDS (FDA 2022) all report vegetables as a dominant dietary contributor for Cd at the population level. Ingredient-level sub-pages should continue to split root vegetables, leafy vegetables, and fruit vegetables as the evidence accumulates per matrix.
Processing effects
Industrial vegetable processing (washing, peeling, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, juicing) generally reduces per-mass concentrations of soil-adherent contaminants (Pb, surface dust) but does not affect bioaccumulated metals (Cd, As, Ni). Washing and peeling reduce Pb and surface Cr in root vegetables by 30-60% depending on the depth of cortical accumulation; for leafy vegetables, washing has minimal effect because internalized Cd dominates. Cooking concentrates per-mass metal content via water loss (a 200-gram raw spinach portion that loses 75% of its water on steaming concentrates per-mass Cd roughly 4-fold). Canning introduces a Sn migration pathway from tinplate cans (relevant to canned tomatoes, canned vegetables, mixed vegetables); per Ventura 2025, canned vegetables in EU markets carry Sn at the 5-30 ppb range with measurable upward outliers in older or damaged cans. Juicing concentrates per-mass solute content; vegetable juices and tomato concentrate (tomato-paste) carry per-mass metal levels at multiples of source-vegetable wet-weight.
Drying (vegetable powders, dried herbs, vegetable flakes) concentrates per-mass metal content by the moisture-removal factor (typically 8-12× for vegetables drying from ≈90% to ≈10% moisture). This is why dried vegetable products, vegetable-extract powders, and dehydrated culinary additions can carry per-mass concentrations multiples higher than the fresh source even when the as-consumed dose is comparable.
Ingredient-derivative risk
Vegetable derivatives span a spectrum of concentration shifts. Fresh vegetables sit at the as-grown baseline. Frozen vegetables match fresh on a per-mass-as-consumed basis. Canned vegetables introduce Sn from can-lining migration (and historically Pb from lead-soldered cans, now phased out under current can-stock specifications). Vegetable juices and concentrates concentrate per-mass metals via water removal. Vegetable purees (non-root-vegetable-purees, root-vegetable-purees) for infant feeding sit close to source-vegetable per-mass concentration adjusted for any added rice or other ingredient. Vegetable powders and dried vegetable products concentrate per-mass metals at the moisture-removal multiple. Pickled vegetables (fermented or vinegar-preserved) carry source-vegetable metal load with minor adjustments depending on brine composition.
Mixed-meals products (mixed-meals-non-rice, mixed-meals-rice-containing) carry a weighted average reflecting their vegetable-fraction and ingredient mix; rice-containing mixed meals also carry the iAs inheritance from the rice base.
Mitigation options
Sourcing levers (supply-chain-screening) are the dominant intervention for vegetables. Geographic-segmented sourcing from documented low-soil-Cd and low-soil-Pb production regions; hydroponic or greenhouse production (limits direct soil uptake and atmospheric-deposition load); supplier-soil verification programs (soil sampling at supplier farms for legacy contamination, particularly Pb in previously industrial or urban soils); irrigation-water specification (testing source water for As, Cd, Pb); and post-cyclone or post-volcanic-event sourcing pauses where regional events have elevated soil and atmospheric deposition per Dearing 2025 and Pulze 2025.
Agronomic levers (agronomic) operate at the vegetable-production stage and are highly effective. Soil pH management (raising pH from 5.5 to 6.5-7.0 reduces Cd plant availability substantially); soil amendments (biochar, lime, organic amendments compete with Cd at root uptake); cultivar selection within species (Cd-low cultivars of lettuce and spinach are documented in agronomic trials); rotation away from Cd-accumulating crops in known-contaminated soils; and remediation of irrigation-water sources. The systematic intervention review by Sripada 2022 documents the magnitude of these effects in LMIC pregnancy/childhood exposure-reduction trials.
Processing levers (processing) include washing (modest Pb and Cr reduction on surface), peeling (substantial Pb reduction on root vegetables), and trimming damaged or older leaves (modest Cd reduction in leafy greens). Industrial canning operations have largely eliminated leaded-solder seams (Pb-soldered cans were phased out by 1995 in most markets). Modern can-stock specification (BPA-NI epoxy lining, tin-free steel, electrolytic chrome) addresses Sn migration.
Formulation levers (formulation) include substituting lower-risk vegetable types for higher-risk ones in formulated products (using non-leafy vegetables instead of spinach in baby-food formulations where the matrix allows), reducing the leafy-green fraction in mixed-vegetable products, and avoiding root-vegetable inclusion from documented high-soil-Pb regions.
Testing and QC levers (testing-and-qc) include lot-level Pb, Cd, iAs, and Ni testing on incoming vegetable supply. The FDA Closer to Zero baby-food Pb action levels (FDA 2025) of 10 ppb for non-root vegetable purees and 20 ppb for root vegetable purees set the operative US screening targets for infant-and-young-child product formulators.
Packaging and storage levers (packaging-and-storage) include can-lining specification for canned vegetable products, glass-jar substitution for high-acid canned tomato products to eliminate Sn migration, and storage-condition specification for dried and frozen vegetable inventory.
Regulatory limits that apply
- eu-2023-915 — EU Reg. 2023/915 sets maximum levels for Cd and Pb in vegetables differentiated by subgroup (leafy vegetables, root vegetables, non-root vegetables, spinach specifically): Pb at 100 ppb (leafy), 50 ppb (root and non-root), 300 ppb (spinach); Cd at 200 ppb (leafy), 100 ppb (root and tuber), 50 ppb (non-root).
- Codex CXS 193-1995 — Codex general standard sets MLs for Pb and Cd in vegetable categories aligned broadly with EU but with category-specific tolerances.
- FDA Closer to Zero infant-food Pb action levels (FDA 2025): 10 ppb for non-root vegetable purees, 20 ppb for root vegetable purees, applicable to baby-food products intended for infants and young children.
- california-prop65 — California Prop 65 Pb MADL applies to vegetable products sold in California; commercial settlements have established the practical compliance thresholds for vegetable retail.
- EFSA Scientific Opinion on Ni in food and drinking water (EFSA 2015) sets the operative Ni TDI of 2.8 µg/kg BW/day; vegetables are a dominant Ni dietary contributor.
- JECFA Cd PTMI of 25 µg/kg BW/month (JECFA 2010) is the operative international Cd reference; vegetables typically account for 30-50% of total dietary Cd intake.
Sources
Auto-generated from source-page frontmatter. The “Used on this page for” column is populated by the orchestrator’s POPULATE-SOURCE-LEGEND action; pending entries appear as *[awaiting synthesis]*.
| # | Citation | Year | Type | Used on this page for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ANSES 2026. Opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the results of the Third French Total Diet Study (TDS3) - Acrylamide, aluminium, silver, cadmium, mercury and lead, ANSES Opinion, Request No 2019-SA-0010 | 2026 | Government report | FR Al, Ag, Cd, Pb, tHg, iHg, MeHg occurrence in French TDS3 foods selected from 276 foods across 44 groups, with 718 samples collected in Loiret, Puy-de-Dome, and… (n=718) |
| 2 | Armand et al. 2026. Probabilistic carcinogenic and health risk assessment of heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage from Behbahan, Iran, using Monte Carlo simulation, Scientific Reports | 2026 | Peer-reviewed | IR Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni occurrence in Retail lettuce and cabbage from 10 stores in Behbahan, Khuzestan Province, southern Iran; 20 samples per vegetable type… (n=40) |
| 3 | Hernández-Montoya et al. 2026. Heavy Metal Contamination in Foods: Advances in Detection Technologies, Regulatory Challenges, Health Risks, and Implications for Sustainable Food Safety, Sustainability | 2026 | Peer-reviewed | codex/EU/US Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, MeHg, Ni occurrence in Scoping review of 121 peer-reviewed studies (Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, Google Scholar; published… |
| 4 | Imongben et al. 2026. Determination of some heavy metals and their potential risk in selected vegetables on sale within Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria, World Nutrition | 2026 | Peer-reviewed | NG Cr, Ni occurrence in 12 vegetable types (carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, avocado, peas, beans) purchased from… (n=60) |
| 5 | Ji et al. 2026. Assessing spatial variability and source identification of heavy metals in agricultural soils: A geostatistical and multivariate analysis of coastal eastern Zhejiang, China, PLOS ONE | 2026 | Peer-reviewed | Soil Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, and As concentrations across 877 agricultural sites in Zhejiang including upland vegetable fields; provides contamination-load context for crops in this region |
| 6 | Chen et al. 2025. Probabilistic assessment of the cumulative risk from dietary heavy metal exposure in Chongqing, China using a hazard-driven approach, Scientific Reports 15:2229 | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | CN/EU Pb, Cd, iAs, MeHg occurrence in 969 participants from China Health and Nutrition Survey 2018, Chongqing Municipality: 31 preschoolers (3-6 yr), 113 adolescents (7-17… (n=969) |
| 7 | Collado-Lopez et al. 2025. Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Processed Baby Foods and Infant Formulas Worldwide: A Scoping Review, Nutrition Reviews | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | Global scoping review of Pb, Cd, tAs, and tHg in processed baby foods (75 studies, 580 products) including vegetable-based purees; provides category-level evidence map |
| 8 | Dearing et al. 2025. Assessment of Heavy Metals in Organic and Non-Organic Vegetables Post Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle: A cross-sectional comparative analysis, F1000Research | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | NZ Cd, Pb, tAs, Ni, Cr, Tl, tHg occurrence in 153 composite representative samples (combined from 736 individual vegetables) sourced from 14 market gardens across 10 growing sites… (n=153) |
| 9 | Dearing et al. 2025. Assessment of Heavy Metals in Organic and Non-Organic Vegetables Post Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle: A cross-sectional comparative analysis, F1000Research | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | NZ Pb, Cd, tAs, Ni, Cr, tHg occurrence in 153 composite representative samples (from 736 individual vegetables) collected from 14 market gardens at 10 growing sites within… (n=153) |
| 10 | FDA 2025. Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children: Guidance for Industry, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Human Foods Program | 2025 | Government guidance | FDA Closer to Zero lead action levels for processed baby foods; sets 10 ppb Pb for non-root vegetable purees and 20 ppb for root vegetable purees |
| 11 | Mititelu et al. 2025. Assessing Heavy Metal Contamination in Food: Implications for Human Health and Environmental Safety, Toxics | 2025 | Review | EU/US/RO Pb, Cd, tAs, iAs, tHg, MeHg, Ni, Cr, Sn occurrence in Narrative review; no primary sample collection. Synthesizes published literature and regulatory data across multiple countries. |
| 12 | Pulze et al. 2025. Impact of volcanic eruptions on heavy metal contamination in the food chain, Italian Journal of Food Safety | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | IT/EU Ni, Cd, V, Pb, As, Cr occurrence in Review study; primary focus on Mount Etna (Italy) and other volcanically active agricultural areas; covers nickel, cadmium, and… |
| 13 | Saleem et al. 2025. Concentration and Potential Non-Carcinogenic and Carcinogenic Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Locally Grown Vegetables, Foods | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | US Cd, Pb, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se occurrence in 82 samples of 13 locally grown vegetable types from the Town Square Farmer’s Market in Grand Forks, North… (n=82) |
| 14 | Saleem et al. 2025. Concentration and Potential Non-Carcinogenic and Carcinogenic Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Locally Grown Vegetables, Foods | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | US Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Ni, Cr occurrence in 82 samples across 13 locally grown vegetable species (potato n=8, onion n=7, tomato n=7, sugar beet n=7, green… (n=82) |
| 15 | Uthayarajan et al. 2025. Quality and sources of food and water consumed by people with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka: a systematic review, Journal of Nephrology | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | LK Cd, Pb, iAs, tAs, Al, Cr, Ni, Sn, tHg occurrence in 57 studies (of 1,067 identified) reporting food and water quality in Sri Lanka CKDu-endemic areas, primarily North Central… (n=57) |
| 16 | Ventura et al. 2025. Dietary Exposure to Essential and Toxic Trace Elements in the Portuguese Population: A Total Diet Study Approach, Foods | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | tAs, Cd, Pb, and Sn in 163 pooled Portuguese TDS samples including vegetables; all values below legal limits, fills EFSA monitoring data gap |
| 17 | Codex 2024. Report of the 17th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (REP24/CF17), Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission | 2024 | Government report | Codex CCCF17 session report initiating new work on a Code of Practice for Cd in foods including vegetables; provides regulatory-trajectory context for vegetable Cd limits |
| 18 | Xinghui et al. 2024. Assessment of Dietary Arsenic Exposure Levels and the Associated Health Risks in Chongqing City, China, Chinese Journal of Public Health | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs occurrence in Chongqing city residents; food samples from 39 districts collected 2018-2023 covering 10 food categories; dietary consumption data from… (n=4900) |
| 19 | Ewubare et al. 2024. An Academic Review on Heavy Metals in the Environment: Effects on Soil, Plants Human Health, and Possible Solutions, American Journal of Environmental Economics 3(1) 70-81 | 2024 | Review | NG Pb, Cd, tHg, MeHg, Cr, Cr-VI, tAs, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, Sb, Tl, Mo occurrence in Narrative review article; no primary samples. Synthesizes literature retrieved from Google Scholar, Frontier in Microbiology, AJOL, Scopus, Web… |
| 20 | Han et al. 2024. Occurrence and Exposure Assessment of Nickel in Zhejiang Province, China, Toxics | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | CN Ni occurrence in Zhejiang Province residents, 11 cities, 2018–2019; n=19,000 in consumption survey (n=2628) |
| 21 | Laoye et al. 2024. Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review, F1000Research | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | NG Pb, Cd, tHg, iAs, tAs, Al occurrence in 64 studies (screened from 10,212) reporting heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria (Lagos,… (n=64) |
| 22 | Luo 2024. ADA/VBB colorimetric method for cadmium detection in rice, milk, and vegetables with real sample measurements, unknown | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | Cd occurrence in real vegetable samples measured by a novel colorimetric ADA/VBB sensor method; provides commodity-level Cd concentrations alongside method validation |
| 23 | Mancuso et al. 2024. Food contamination and cardiovascular disease: a narrative review | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | EU/global Pb, Cd, iAs, tAs, tHg occurrence in null |
| 24 | Mohammadian-Hafshejani et al. 2024. Investigating the Relationship between Cadmium Exposure and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis, Journal of Health (Tehran University of Medical Sciences) | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | IR/US/EU Cd occurrence in 16 observational studies (case-control, cross-sectional, cohort) on Cd exposure and prostate cancer risk; searches up to May 2022 (n=16) |
| 25 | Rossini-Oliva et al. 2024. Is it healthy urban agriculture? Human exposure to potentially toxic elements in urban gardens from Andalusia, Spain, Environmental Science and Pollution Research | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | ES As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Ba, B, Mo, Zn occurrence in Edible vegetables and topsoils from urban gardens in Seville, Cordoba, Huelva, and Riotinto mining area, Andalusia, Spain; 2021–2023 (n=282) |
| 26 | Salem et al. 2024. Influence of the use of remediated soil and agricultural drainage water on the safety of tomato fruits, Environmental Science and Pollution Research | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | EG Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb occurrence in Tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) grown in contaminated soil with different bioremediation treatments; greenhouse and field experiments;… |
| 27 | Samma et al. 2024. Evaluating Soil-Vegetable Contamination with Heavy Metals in Bogura, Bangladesh: A Risk Assessment Approach, Environmental Health Insights | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | BD Pb, Cr, Cu occurrence in Composite vegetable and soil samples from 5 vegetable species across 6 upazilas in Bogura district, Bangladesh (northern industrial… (n=30) |
| 28 | Si et al. 2024. Research progress in the detection of trace heavy metal ions in food samples, Frontiers in Chemistry | 2024 | Review | CN Pb, Cd, tHg, Cr-VI, Cu, Zn, Fe occurrence in Mini-review of nanomaterial-based analytical methods for trace heavy-metal detection in food samples; covers electrochemical, colorimetric, and fluorescence sensing… |
| 29 | Wu 2024. Contamination of Heavy Metal(Loid)S in Cereals, Vegetables, and Legumes Purchased from Local Markets of Jiaozuo, China and The Associated Health Risk Assessment, International Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, 2(1): 180-200 | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | CN Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn occurrence in 244 commercially purchased food samples from six supermarkets, six farmers’ markets, and one wholesale market across Shanyang and… (n=244) |
| 30 | Zhao et al. 2024. Toxic Metals and Metalloids in Food: Current Status, Health Risks, and Mitigation Strategies, Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | AU/BR/FR tAs, iAs, Cd, Pb occurrence in Global occurrence synthesis: Table 1 aggregates national mean occurrence data from Total Diet Studies across Australia, Brazil, France,… |
| 31 | Altunay et al. 2023. Ultra-Sensitive Determination of Cadmium in Food and Water by Flame-AAS after a New Polyvinyl Benzyl Xanthate as an Adsorbent Based Vortex Assisted Dispersive Solid-Phase Microextraction: Multivariate Optimization, Foods 2023, 12, 3620 | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | Cd in 13 Turkish market foods including spinach, tomato, onion, and aubergine by FAAS; anomalously high values flagged as requiring cautious interpretation |
| 32 | Luc et al. 2023. Evaluation of the Metallic Contamination of Market Garden Products around the Loumbila Dam, Open Journal of Applied Sciences | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | BF Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb occurrence in Market-garden vegetables around Loumbila Dam, Burkina Faso |
| 33 | Kharkwal et al. 2023. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk assessment of heavy metals in cooked beans and vegetables in Punjab, North India, Food Science & Nutrition | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | IN tAs, Cd, Pb, tHg occurrence in Cooked beans and cooked vegetable preparations collected from 150 selected households across 30 urban and rural locations in… (n=150) |
| 34 | Price et al. 2023. Extending Regulatory Biokinetic Lead Models towards Food Safety: Evaluation of Consumer Baby Food Contribution to Infant Blood Lead Levels and Variability, Foods 12:2732 | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | US Pb occurrence in US national probabilistic Monte Carlo (10,000 iterations) using AHHS 2005-2006 + AHHS II 2018-2019 + FDA TDS 2007-2013… |
| 35 | Rempelos et al. 2023. Effect of Climatic Conditions, and Agronomic Practices Used in Organic and Conventional Crop Production on Yield and Nutritional Composition Parameters in Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion; Results from the Long-Term NFSC-Trials, Agronomy | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | GB Cd, Ni, Pb occurrence in Long-term Nafferton Factorial Systems Comparison field trials in Northumberland, UK; toxic-metal main-effect means for harvested potato tubers, cabbage… |
| 36 | Sadhya et al. 2023. Regulation in India of Heavy Metals in Food Items: A Critical Analysis, Environmental Analysis & Ecology Studies | 2023 | Review | IN Pb, Cu, tAs, Sn, Cd, tHg, MeHg, Cr, Ni, Se, Sb, Ba, Co, Fe, Li, Mn, Zn occurrence in Legal review of the Indian regulatory framework governing heavy metals in food and food packaging. No primary measurements… |
| 37 | Suomi et al. 2023. Cumulative risk assessment of the dietary heavy metal and aluminum exposure of Finnish adults, Environmental Science and Pollution Research | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | FI/EU Cd, Pb, iAs, MeHg, Ni, Al occurrence in Finnish adults aged 25–74 years from FinDiet 2012 national dietary survey (48-h recall; 5 geographic areas) (n=1295) |
| 38 | Wale 2023. An Overview of the Level of Heavy Metals Concentration in Fruits and Vegetables, International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology | 2023 | Review | Pb, Cd, tAs, Cr, Ni, tHg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Co, Zn occurrence in Narrative review with no primary measurements; single-author three-page short review (Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 23-25) from the… |
| 39 | Wang et al. 2023. Deterministic and Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Metals in the Daily Diets of Residents in Industrial Regions of Northern Ningxia, China, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | CN Al, tAs, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb occurrence in 187 samples (36 drinking water + 151 food) from villages and towns in industrial regions of northern Ningxia,… (n=187) |
| 40 | Agarwal et al. 2022. Seasonal Variations in Bioaccumulation and Translocation of Toxic Heavy Metals in the Dominant Vegetables of East Kolkata Wetlands: a Case Study with Suggestive Ecorestorative Strategies, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | IN Pb, Cd, Cr, tHg occurrence in Three vegetable species from Dhapa waste dumping site, East Kolkata Wetlands, India; 2016-2017 across three seasons |
| 41 | Ashley-Martin et al. 2022. Biomonitoring of inorganic arsenic species in pregnancy, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | CA/US/global iAs, tAs occurrence in Systematic review of biomonitoring studies of speciated iAs in pregnancy; covers cohort studies from Bangladesh, Spain, China, Mexico,… |
| 42 | Bair 2022. A Narrative Review of Toxic Heavy Metal Content of Infant and Toddler Foods and Evaluation of United States Policy, Frontiers in Nutrition | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | US/EU tAs, iAs, Pb, Cd, tHg occurrence in Narrative review; no original measurements. Synthesizes US Congressional Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy findings (Feb 2021 and… |
| 43 | Bramwell et al. 2022. Determinants of blood and saliva lead concentrations in adult gardeners on urban agricultural sites, Environmental Geochemistry and Health | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | GB Pb occurrence in 43 adult urban-agriculture-site gardeners and 29 matched controls in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; environmental sampling included nearly 280… (n=72) |
| 44 | Fechner et al. 2022. Results of the BfR MEAL Study: In Germany, mercury is mostly contained in fish and seafood while cadmium, lead, and nickel are present in a broad spectrum of foods, Food Chemistry: X | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | DE/EU tHg, MeHg, Cd, Pb, Ni occurrence in 869 pooled samples from 356 foods representing 90%+ of German food consumption; adults and adolescents N=13,926 (NVS II… (n=869) |
| 45 | Health 2022. Health Safety Assessment of Ready-to-Eat Products Consumed by Children Aged 0.5–3 Years on the Polish Market, | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | Cited reference from |
| 46 | Kumar et al. 2022. Lead (Pb) Contamination in Agricultural Products and Human Health Risk Assessment in Bangladesh, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 233:257 | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | BD Pb occurrence in Published Pb concentration data for commonly consumed agricultural foods and food products in Bangladesh. (n=Literature survey covering three cereals, five pulses, ten fruits, and 34 vegetables/other agricultural food items) |
| 47 | Mawari et al. 2022. Heavy Metal Accumulation in Fruits and Vegetables and Human Health Risk Assessment: Findings From Maharashtra, India, Environmental Health Insights | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | IN Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg occurrence in 24 commodity types (vegetables and fruits) sampled from markets and farms in Maharashtra state, India; also native soil… (n=24) |
| 48 | Munir et al. 2022. Heavy Metal Contamination of Natural Foods Is a Serious Health Issue: A Review, Sustainability | 2022 | Review | Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr occurrence in Narrative review synthesizing published literature on heavy metal contamination in plant-based foods globally |
| 49 | Sadee 2022. Determination of trace metals in vegetables using ICP-MS, ZANCO Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | IQ tAs, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu occurrence in ten common vegetables from local markets in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (n=10) |
| 50 | Sarker et al. 2022. Heavy metals contamination and associated health risks in food webs — a review focuses on food safety and environmental sustainability in Bangladesh, Environmental Science and Pollution Research | 2022 | Review | BD Pb, Cd, tAs, Cr, Ni occurrence in Systematic review of published literature on heavy metal contamination in foodstuffs, soil, and water in Bangladesh; first systematic… |
| 51 | Sitek et al. 2022. The role of antioxidant vitamins in cadmium toxicity prevention, Nutrients | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | EU/WHO/global Cd occurrence in Review of human and animal studies on dietary Cd exposure and antioxidant vitamin interactions |
| 52 | Sripada et al. 2022. Interventions to reduce cadmium exposure in low- and middle-income countries during pregnancy and childhood: A systematic review, Journal of Global Health | 2022 | Review | LMICs Cd occurrence in 26 studies from 21 LMICs covering interventions in pregnant women, infants, and children (n=26) |
| 53 | Vanisree et al. 2022. Heavy Metal Contamination of Food Crops: Transportation via Food Chain, Human Consumption, Toxicity and Management Strategies, IntechOpen — Environmental Impact and Remediation of Heavy Metals (edited volume, chapter) | 2022 | Book chapter | BD/IN Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni occurrence in Review chapter; includes a table of heavy metal concentrations in effluent-contaminated irrigation water from Bangladesh’s Dhaka Export Processing… |
| 54 | Zhao et al. 2022. Exposure to Lead and Cadmium in the Sixth Total Diet Study — China, 2016–2019, China CDC Weekly | 2022 | Government report | CN Pb, Cd occurrence in Adult Chinese males (18–45 years, 63 kg reference body weight), 24 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs), 2016–2019; 288 composite… (n=288) |
| 55 | Zhao et al. 2022. Exposure to Lead and Cadmium in the Sixth Total Diet Study — China, 2016–2019, China CDC Weekly | 2022 | Government report | CN Pb, Cd occurrence in 288 composite samples from the 24 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) of the Sixth China Total Diet Study, covering… (n=288) |
| 56 | Zmudzinska et al. 2022. Health Safety Assessment of Ready-to-Eat Products Consumed by Children Aged 0.5–3 Years on the Polish Market, Nutrients 14(11):2325 | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | PL tAs, Cd, tHg, Pb occurrence in 397 commercial ready-to-eat baby-food products purchased Dec 2020 – Sep 2021 on the Polish market for children aged… (n=397) |
| 57 | Fonge et al. 2021. An assessment of heavy metal exposure risk associated with consumption of cabbage and carrot grown in a tropical Savannah region, Sustainable Environment | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | CM tAs, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn occurrence in Triplicate edible-portion samples from cabbage-head farms and carrot-root farms at four Santa sites in the North West Region,… (n=24) |
| 58 | Ufelle et al. 2021. Toxic Effects of Metals (Chapter 23), in Casarett & Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology, Fourth Edition, Casarett & Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology, Fourth Edition. McGraw Hill Education | 2021 | Textbook chapter | Canonical toxicology textbook chapter covering As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and other metals; identifies vegetables as a dietary exposure pathway for multiple metals |
| 59 | Wang et al. 2021. Mercury accumulation in vegetable Houttuynia cordata Thunb. from two different geological areas in southwest China and implications for human consumption, Scientific Reports 11:1470 | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | CN tHg, MeHg occurrence in Edible Houttuynia cordata tissues collected from a mercury mining area and a non-mining comparison area in southwest China. (n=Houttuynia cordata plants and rhizosphere soils from Danzhai mercury-mining and Zhijin non-mining areas in Guizhou, China; tissue-level n varies by site/tissue table.) |
| 60 | Afonne et al. 2020. Heavy metals risks in plant foods – need to step up precautionary measures, Current Opinion in Toxicology | 2020 | Review | NG/CN/TZ Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni occurrence in Narrative review in Current Opinion in Toxicology covering plant food heavy metal contamination globally, with emphasis on Asia,… |
| 61 | BfR 2020. FAQs about aluminium in food and products intended for consumers, BfR FAQ of 20 July 2020 | 2020 | Government report | DE/EU Al occurrence in null |
| 62 | Heshmati et al. 2020. Concentration and Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements, Lead and Cadmium, in Vegetables and Cereals Consumed in Western Iran, Journal of Food Protection 83(1):101-107 | 2020 | Peer-reviewed | IR/EU Pb, Cd occurrence in Four hundred composite food samples — 50 each of eight commodities (potato Solanum tuberosum, onion Allium cepa, tomato… (n=400) |
| 63 | Jiang et al. 2020. Compound health risk assessment of cumulative heavy metal exposure: A case study of a village near a battery factory in Henan Province, China, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts | 2020 | Peer-reviewed | CN tHg, tAs, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn occurrence in Locally produced wheat, corn, and vegetables collected in SZD village near a battery factory in Xinxiang, Henan Province,… |
| 64 | Wang et al. 2020. Contamination and health risk assessment of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum from a total diet study of Jilin Province, China, Food Science & Nutrition | 2020 | Peer-reviewed | CN Pb, tAs, Cd, Al occurrence in Jilin Province total-diet-study composites across 12 food groups and 48 product groups, with consumption inputs for 7700 residents… |
| 65 | Abdullahi 2019. Analysis and Evaluation of the Effect of Heavy Metals in Fruits and Vegetables, International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | NG Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd, Ni, Pb occurrence in Orange, pineapple, waterleaf, and pumpkin leaf samples from a local market in Nigeria |
| 66 | Ahmed et al. 2019. Heavy Metal Contamination of Irrigation Water, Soil, and Vegetables and the Difference between Dry and Wet Seasons Near a Multi-Industry Zone in Bangladesh, Water | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | BD Pb, Cd, tAs, Cr, Cu, Zn occurrence in Irrigation water, soil, and mixed vegetables from 3 industrial zone areas (Banglabazar, Kashimpur, Chandra) in Gazipur District, Bangladesh… (n=243) |
| 67 | Centre for Food Safety 2019. Guidelines on the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) (Amendment) Regulation 2018, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report HK1922, relaying the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety Guidelines for the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 (Cap. 132V sub. leg.) | 2019 | Government report | HK Sb, tAs, iAs, Ba, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, MeHg, tHg, Ni, Se, Sn, U occurrence in Not a sampling study. Regulatory document setting maximum levels (MLs) for 14 metallic contaminants across food and food… |
| 68 | Chekri et al. 2019. Trace element contents in foods from the first French Total Diet Study on infants and toddlers, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | Multi-element occurrence in 291 French infant foods including vegetable soups, purees, and ready-to-eat meals; category-level data without root/non-root split |
| 69 | Hussain et al. 2019. Arsenic and Heavy Metal (Cadmium, Lead, Mercury and Nickel) Contamination in Plant-Based Foods, Plant and Human Health, Volume 2 | 2019 | Book chapter | GLOBAL tAs, Cd, Pb, tHg, Ni occurrence in Review chapter compiling published occurrence ranges for arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel in plant-based foods including cereal… |
| 70 | Liang et al. 2019. Analysis of Heavy Metals in Foodstuffs and an Assessment of the Health Risks to the General Public via Consumption in Beijing, China, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 2019 | Peer-reviewed | CN Pb, Cd, Cr, tAs, tHg occurrence in Beijing general population; 25 foodstuff types collected from 4 sites, 3 replicates each (n=75) |
| 71 | Alimohammadi et al. 2018. Heavy metal(oid)s concentration in Tehran supermarket vegetables: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment, Toxin Reviews | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | IR tAs, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn occurrence in Six vegetable types (lettuce, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, potato, carrot; n=16 each, 96 total) collected from Tehran central fruit… (n=96) |
| 72 | Ghasemidehkordi et al. 2018. Concentration of lead and mercury in collected vegetables and herbs from Markazi province, Iran: a non-carcinogenic risk assessment, Food and Chemical Toxicology 113:204-210 | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | IR Pb, tHg occurrence in Ten species of green leafy vegetables and herbs (Allium ampeloprasum L. [leek], A. wakegi L. [Welsh/Japanese bunching onion],… (n=160) |
| 73 | Islam et al. 2018. Assessment of heavy metals in foods around the industrial areas: Health hazard inference in Bangladesh, Geocarto International | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | BD Cr, Ni, Cu, tAs, Cd, Pb occurrence in Seventy-five composite samples of rice, sponge gourd, bitter gourd, papaya, okra, bean, brinjal, and chili collected by hand… (n=75) |
| 74 | Signes-Pastor et al. 2018. Infants’ dietary arsenic exposure during transition to solid food, Scientific Reports | 2018 | Journal article | Cited reference from Scientific Reports |
| 75 | Signes-Pastor et al. 2018. Infants’ dietary arsenic exposure during transition to solid food, Scientific Reports | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | Longitudinal infant biomarker study linking vegetable puree introduction to urinary iAs and tAs changes during weaning; US cohort |
| 76 | Talib 2018. Determination of lead and cadmium in carrots and cabbage available in local markets, Journal of University of Babylon for Pure and Applied Sciences | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | IQ Pb, Cd occurrence in Carrot and cabbage samples from local markets, including Iraqi and Iranian-origin products |
| 77 | Ahmed et al. 2017. Arsenic Contamination of Water-Soil-Crop System in an Industrial Area of Bangladesh, International Journal of Environment | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | BD tAs occurrence in Vegetables grown in a Gazipur industrial-area water-soil-crop system in Bangladesh (n=27) |
| 78 | Hardisson et al. 2017. Aluminium Exposure Through the Diet, HSOA Journal of Food Science and Nutrition | 2017 | Review | ES/DE/AU Al occurrence in Compiled literature review of Al concentrations across food groups and drinks; intake estimated against Spanish population consumption data… |
| 79 | Li et al. 2017. Mercury pollution in vegetables, grains and soils from areas surrounding coal-fired power plants, Scientific Reports | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | CN tHg occurrence in Pooled vegetable, grain, and soil samples from six open-field locations within 10 km of two coal-fired power plants… |
| 80 | Jitender et al. 2017. Heavy Metals in Soil and Vegetables and their Effect on Health, International Journal of Engineering Science Technologies | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | IN Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni occurrence in Vegetables grown on domestic-wastewater-irrigated farmland around Hisar district, Haryana, India |
| 81 | Song et al. 2017. Dietary cadmium exposure assessment among the Chinese population, PLoS ONE 12(5): e0177978 | 2017 | Peer-reviewed | CN Cd occurrence in 228,687 food samples collected from supermarkets, local markets, and field harvest sites across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and… (n=228687) |
| 82 | Food Safety Authority of 2016. Report on a Total Diet Study Carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in the Period 2012–2014, FSAI Chemical Monitoring and Surveillance Series | 2016 | Government report | IE/EU Al, tAs, iAs, Cd, Cr, Pb, tHg, Sn occurrence in 141 food samples (1,043 sub-samples) representing the Irish diet; adults n=1,500 (NANS, age 18+, 2008–2010) and children n=594… (n=141) |
| 83 | AMMM et al. 2016. Environmental surveillance of commonly-grown vegetables for investigating potential lead and chromium contamination intensification in Bangladesh, SpringerPlus | 2016 | Peer-reviewed | BD Pb, Cd, Cr occurrence in Commonly grown vegetables collected across all 64 districts of Bangladesh: white potato, green cabbage, red spinach, white radish,… (n=292) |
| 84 | X-D et al. 2016. Levels and potential health risk of heavy metals in marketed vegetables in Zhejiang, China, Scientific Reports | 2016 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs, Cd, Cr, tHg, Ni, Pb occurrence in Five thousand seven hundred eighty-five vegetable samples of 28 species collected from Zhejiang province, China, from March to… (n=5785) |
| 85 | Sharma et al. 2016. Heavy metals in vegetables: screening health risks involved in cultivation along wastewater drain and irrigating with wastewater, SpringerPlus | 2016 | Peer-reviewed | IN Cd, Pb, Cu, Co, Fe occurrence in Edible portions of 12 common vegetable types from three Amritsar, Punjab agricultural sites, collected in triplicate per vegetable/site. (n=108) |
| 86 | Shibata et al. 2016. Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Rice Cereal and Other Dietary Sources for Infants and Toddlers in the U.S., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 2016 | Peer reviewed journal | Cited reference from International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
| 87 | EFSA 2015. Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of nickel in food and drinking water, EFSA Journal 2015;13(2):4002, 202 pp. | 2015 | Government report | EU Ni occurrence in 18,885 food samples and 25,700 drinking water samples from 15 European countries (2003–2012) (n=18885) |
| 88 | Islam et al. 2015. The concentration, source and potential human health risk of heavy metals in the commonly consumed foods in Bangladesh, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | BD Cr, Ni, Cu, tAs, Cd, Pb occurrence in Commonly consumed meat, egg, fish, milk, vegetable, cereal, and fruit foods collected from agriculture fields, farms, river, and… |
| 89 | Mania et al. 2015. Toxic Elements in Commercial Infant Food, Estimated Dietary Intake, and Risk Assessment in Poland, Polish Journal of Environmental Studies | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | PL/EU Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg occurrence in Approximately 1,000 commercial infant-food samples collected from retail markets in all Polish provinces during the 2009-2013 sanitary-epidemiological monitoring… (n=1000) |
| 90 | Salehipour et al. 2015. Health Risks from Heavy Metals via Consumption of Cereals and Vegetables in Isfahan Province, Iran, Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | IR Pb, tAs, Ni, Zn, Cu occurrence in Seventy edible-part samples of nine commodities — onion (Allium cepa), leek (Allium pp.; species not stated by authors),… (n=70) |
| 91 | Cherfi et al. 2014. Food survey: Levels and potential health risks of chromium, lead, zinc and copper content in fruits and vegetables consumed in Algeria, Food and Chemical Toxicology | 2014 | Peer-reviewed | DZ Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu occurrence in Two fruit and thirteen vegetable foodstuffs purchased from two wholesale markets supplying Boumerdes, Algeria, during the first two… (n=15) |
| 92 | EFSA 2014. Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of chromium in food and drinking water, EFSA Journal 2014;12(3):3595 | 2014 | Government report | EU Cr, Cr-VI occurrence in Analytical results submitted to EFSA on chromium in food (27,074) and drinking water (52,735) reported by EU Member… (n=79809) |
| 93 | FSA 2014. Survey of metals and other elements in commercial infant foods, infant formula and non-infant specific foods, Food Standards Agency report | 2014 | Government report | GB Al, Sb, tAs, iAs, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, tHg, Ni, Se, Sn, Zn occurrence in Forty-seven infant formula samples, 200 commercial infant foods, and 50 composite ‘other foods’ samples purchased from UK retail… (n=297) |
| 94 | Huang et al. 2014. Heavy metals in vegetables and the health risk to population in Zhejiang, China, Food Control | 2014 | Peer-reviewed | CN tAs, Cd, tHg, Pb occurrence in Three hundred forty-three vegetable samples of 11 usual types collected in Zhejiang, China, from March to October 2012. (n=343) |
| 95 | Mansour 2014. Monitoring and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Food, Practical Food Safety: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions (Wiley-Blackwell) | 2014 | Book chapter | EG Pb, Cd, tHg, tAs, Cr occurrence in Review chapter covering analytical methods and health risk assessment frameworks for heavy metal contamination in food; includes some… |
| 96 | Centre for Food Safety 2013. The First Hong Kong Total Diet Study: Metallic Contaminants, Centre for Food Safety, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 2013 | Government report | HK Al, Sb, Cd, Pb, MeHg, Ni, Sn occurrence in Hong Kong general adult population; 150 TDS food items purchased on 4 occasions (March 2010 to February 2011),… (n=1800) |
| 97 | He et al. 2013. Exposure assessment of dietary cadmium: findings from shanghainese over 40 years, China, BMC Public Health | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | CN Cd occurrence in Shanghai adults aged over 40, cross-sectional survey 2008, Baoshan District (n=207) |
| 98 | Salehi et al. 2013. Accumulation of Cadmium and Lead in Soils and Vegetables of Lenjanat Region in Isfahan Province, Iran, E3S Web of Conferences (ICHMET 2012) | 2013 | Peer-reviewed | IR Cd, Pb occurrence in 130 topsoil samples and 50 vegetable samples randomly drawn from agricultural lands within the 75 km² Lenjanat region… (n=180) |
| 99 | Centre for Food Safety 2012. The First Hong Kong Total Diet Study: Inorganic Arsenic, Centre for Food Safety, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 2012 | Government report | HK iAs, tAs occurrence in Hong Kong adult population aged 20-84; composite samples from 150 TDS food items collected on four occasions March… (n=600) |
| 100 | Elbagermi et al. 2012. Monitoring of Heavy Metal Content in Fruits and Vegetables Collected from Production and Market Sites in the Misurata Area of Libya, ISRN Analytical Chemistry | 2012 | Peer-reviewed | LY Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni occurrence in Fruit and vegetable produce purchased from several local suppliers and markets in Misurata City, Libya, during 2010. (n=250) |
| 101 | JECFA 2011. Cadmium (Addendum), 73rd Meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives — Safety Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants, WHO Food Additives Series No. 64 (Cadmium addendum, pp. 305-380) | 2011 | Government report | JECFA document establishing the international Cd PTMI of 25 µg/kg BW/month; reports vegetables as a significant Cd dietary contributor across reviewed countries |
| 102 | EFSA 2010. Scientific Opinion on Lead in Food, EFSA Journal 2010;8(4):1570 | 2010 | Government report | EU Pb risk assessment identifying cereals and vegetables as dominant dietary Pb contributors; establishes no-threshold position and BMDLs for neurodevelopmental and cardiovascular endpoints |
| 103 | EFSA 2009. Scientific Opinion on Arsenic in Food, EFSA Journal 2009;7(10):1351 | 2009 | Government report | EU iAs, tAs concentrations |
| 104 | Committee on Toxicity of 2008. COT Statement on the 2006 UK Total Diet Study of Metals and Other Elements, Committee on Toxicity statement | 2008 | Government report | GB Al, Sb, tAs, iAs, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, tHg, Mo, Ni, Se, Sn, Tl, Zn occurrence in 2006 UK Total Diet Study: 119 food categories combined into 20 prepared-as-consumed food groups for metals and other… (n=20) |
| 105 | EFSA 2008. Safety of Aluminium from Dietary Intake, The EFSA Journal 2008;754:1-34 | 2008 | Government report | EU Al concentrations |
| 106 | Uneyama et al. 2007. Arsenic in various foods: Cumulative data, Food Additives & Contaminants | 2007 | Peer-reviewed | JP/US/GB tAs, iAs occurrence in Cumulative review of arsenic measurements in food from PubMed, Japanese local-authority research databases, and national food-safety surveillance reports;… |
| 107 | JECFA 2006. Evaluation of certain food contaminants — Sixty-fourth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, WHO Technical Report Series 930 (Sixty-fourth meeting of JECFA, Rome, 8-17 February 2005) | 2006 | Government report | international Cd, Sn occurrence in Cadmium: raw or aggregated occurrence data submitted to GEMS/Food by Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, USA,… |
| 108 | EFSA 2005. Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies on a request from the Commission related to the tolerable upper intake level of tin, EFSA Journal | 2005 | Regulatory opinion | EU/GB/FR Sn occurrence in EFSA opinion summarising dietary tin occurrence/intake literature, including UK 1997 Total Diet Study food-group means and French lacquered/unlacquered… |
| 109 | EC 2004. Assessment of the dietary exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury of the population of the EU Member States, Reports on tasks for scientific cooperation, SCOOP Task 3.2.11 | 2004 | Government report | EU/BE/DK tAs, Cd, Pb, tHg occurrence in Occurrence, consumption, and intake submissions for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury from EU Member States and Norway under… |
| 110 | Zhou et al. 2000. Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables and Their Control in China, Food Reviews International | 2000 | Peer-reviewed | CN Pb, Cd, tHg, tAs, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn occurrence in Secondary review of previously published Chinese city surveys of vegetables and some grains. Tables 2-11 reproduce values from… |
| 111 | Codex 1995. General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 193-1995), Codex Alimentarius (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme) | 1995 | Government report | Operative Codex standard setting international maximum levels for Cd, Pb, and other contaminants in leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and specific commodity groups |
| 112 | Dabeka et al. 1995. Survey of Lead, Cadmium, Fluoride, Nickel, and Cobalt in Food Composites and Estimation of Dietary Intakes of These Elements by Canadians in 1986-1988, Journal of AOAC International | 1995 | Peer-reviewed | CA Pb, Cd, Ni, Co occurrence in Five Canadian total-diet composite groups, each with 113 composites and 39 composite subsets, prepared from foods purchased in… (n=760) |
| 113 | IARC 1990. Chromium, Nickel and Welding, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 49 | 1990 | Government report | INTL Cr, Cr-VI, Ni occurrence in International scientific working group; review of global occupational, environmental, dietary, and experimental data for Cr, Ni, and welding… |
| 114 | Mahaffey et al. 1975. Heavy Metal Exposure from Foods, Environmental Health Perspectives | 1975 | Peer-reviewed | US Pb, Cd, tHg, tAs, Zn, Se occurrence in US FDA Total Diet Study (Market Basket Survey), FY 1968–1974. 30 market baskets per year purchased from retail… |
Why this commodity accumulates heavy metals
Vegetables sit on the soil-uptake side of the food system and inherit their heavy-metal load from three primary pathways: root uptake of soil-resident metals during plant growth (the dominant pathway for Cd, Ni, and Cr); foliar deposition from atmospheric particulates and irrigation-water spray (dominant for Pb in industrialized or roadside production); and irrigation-water inheritance from impacted source waters (dominant for iAs in As-affected regions of South Asia, China, and the Mediterranean basin). The soil-source pathway is the primary driver across the corpus per Ji 2026 (Zhejiang agricultural soils, 877 sites) and Imongben 2026 (Kaduna vegetable plots, Nigeria); irrigation-water and atmospheric loading dominate when industrial point sources, mining areas, or volcanic-activity zones intersect with vegetable production per Pulze 2025 (Mount Etna) and Dearing 2025 (post-cyclone New Zealand).
Plant biology drives per-tissue concentration: leafy vegetables (leafy greens, spinach, parsley, lettuce) accumulate Cd and Pb in leaf tissue via xylem-transport plus surface deposition at concentrations multiples higher than root or fruit tissues; root vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes) accumulate Pb at the soil-root interface and Cd via cortical uptake; fruit vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash) carry the lowest baseline because the fruit-loading pathway concentrates metals less efficiently. The HMTc-panel concerns for the vegetable category are dominantly Pb, Cd, and Ni, with iAs, tAs, Al, and Cr at moderate concern depending on regional and varietal characteristics.
Page history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page. The full version history lives in git; when DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| b0f3d38 | 2026-06-12 | batch | corpus rescreen b04 old terminal skips |