Overview
This Scientific Data paper (CC BY) reports the first open-access dataset on heavy metal and metalloid concentrations in food crops and agricultural soils from Moquegua, a mining-impacted department in southern Peru that contains one of the country’s largest copper deposits and contributes to Peru’s status as the world’s second-largest copper producer. The dataset covers 13,828 observations from 341 sampling sites across three provinces (General Sánchez Cerro, Mariscal Nieto, Ilo) at altitudes ranging from 9 to 3,934 m above sea level, collected in 2021 during harvest season. For food crops, 31 elements were measured using ICP-MS; for soils, 23 elements by ICP-OES and AAS. The paper functions primarily as a data descriptor rather than an analytical study; key concentration results are presented in the paper itself.
Key numbers
Soil concentrations at sampling sites (50 samples from Huacaybamba-Huánuco comparison area — from quinoa soil table):
Note: The soil data table extracted (Table 1 in text at page 209) appears to be from the quinoa study (Rosales-Huamani et al. 2023) rather than from this paper — the Moquegua dataset paper’s specific concentration results were not on the first 5 pages. The following are from the Moquegua dataset paper’s general description:
- Total observations: 13,828 from 341 sampling sites
- Food crops sampled: avocado, sweet lime, potato, oca, olluco, corn, faba bean, mashua, alfalfa, chard, celery, spinach, beet, white carrot, strawberry, tomato, lettuce, carrot, olive
- Altitudes: 9–3,934 m above sea level, covering coastal lowland (Ilo), mid-altitude (Mariscal Nieto, 964–3,864 m), and highland (General Sánchez Cerro, 1,539–3,934 m) zones
- Analytical methods: ICP-MS (EPA 200.3/EPA 6010B) for tubers and corn; AAS for As, Cd, Pb in remaining crops; ALS analytical laboratory Lima
Elements measured in food crops: 31 elements including As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn confirmed as among those measured. Data available at Figshare (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6572563.v1).
Methods (brief)
Harvest-season 2021 sample collection. Random sampling per field; GPS coordinates recorded. Food crop edible portions analyzed (consistent with local consumption practice). Soil 0–25 cm upper horizon composite samples. ALS laboratory Lima; ICP-MS for tubers/corn (EPA 200.3/EPA 6010B, validated 2016 for vegetable tissue); AAS for As, Cd, Pb in other crops. Quality control: duplicates every 10 samples, blanks and internal standards every 25.
Limitations
This is a data descriptor paper; the primary value is the open-access dataset, not an interpretive analysis. Concentration distributions by food crop type and province are in the dataset (Figshare) rather than fully tabulated in the paper. The dataset is from a single-year harvest (2021) and a mining-impacted region, so values may not be representative of baseline conditions in non-mining agricultural areas of Peru. Quinoa is listed as a crop of interest in the region but is only sampled in the highest-altitude province (General Sánchez Cerro), so it is not the primary crop in this dataset.
Implications
- Certification: The Moquegua dataset is directly relevant as geographic baseline data for Peruvian-sourced ingredients (potato, avocado, olive, spinach, corn) from mining-adjacent regions. Any HMT&C certification of Peruvian-origin ingredients should consider whether source farms are in Moquegua or comparably mining-impacted zones.
- Courses: Good case study for altitude × mining geography interaction with food crop contamination.
- App: Geographic context for Peruvian crop sourcing risk. Specific concentrations need to be pulled from the Figshare dataset.
- Microbiome: Not applicable.
Related evidence
Update history
No substantive edit history is available in this build. The full commit record is available in git.