Eight vegetables bought at four Belgrade markets were measured for twelve elements by ICP-MS on a fresh-weight basis. Lead stayed at or below 0.040 mg/kg in every sample, under the EU limit of 0.10 mg/kg. Cadmium was below the EU limits except in celeriac, where the highest sample reached 0.248 mg/kg against a 0.15 mg/kg limit. Modelled hazard indices stayed below 1.
Key numbers
Min to max, mg/kg wet weight, n = 4 composites per vegetable (Table 1, pp. 11-13):
| Vegetable | Pb | Cd | As | Hg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onion | 0.003-0.008 | <LOD-0.023 | 0.004-0.015 | <LOD-0.003 |
| Garlic | 0.006-0.034 | <LOD-0.049 | <LOD-0.017 | <LOD-0.007 |
| Leek | <LOD-0.003 | <LOD-0.015 | <LOD-0.005 | <LOD-0.003 |
| Carrot | 0.002-0.016 | 0.006-0.020 | <LOD-0.002 | <LOD-0.0014 |
| Beetroot | 0.007-0.016 | 0.004-0.013 | <LOD-0.002 | <LOD-0.001 |
| Celery root | 0.004-0.040 | 0.023-0.25 | <LOD-0.007 | <LOD-0.002 |
| Parsley root | 0.005-0.017 | 0.007-0.018 | 0.0014-0.0042 | 0.0009-0.0014 |
| Potato | <LOD-0.005 | <LOD-0.076 | <LOD | <LOD-0.0035 |
- Means: celery root had the highest mean cadmium (Cd) (0.134 mg/kg); garlic the highest mean lead (Pb) (0.0225 mg/kg), then celery root (0.0210 mg/kg) (p. 8).
- EU Regulation 2023/915 comparison by the authors: all Pb (limit 0.10) and nickel (Ni) below limits; Cd below limits except celeriac, maximum 0.248 mg/kg, about 1.65 times the 0.15 mg/kg limit (p. 13).
- Risk: deterministic HI 7.96 × 10⁻⁴ to 2.16 × 10⁻¹ (adults) and up to 3.84 × 10⁻¹ (children); Monte Carlo P90 HI below 1 in both groups; P90 total cancer risk above 10⁻⁴ only for adults in the aggregate scenario, and this depends on an assumed cadmium slope factor (Abstract).
Methods (brief)
Microwave digestion and ICP-MS for mercury (Hg), Pb, Mn, chromium (Cr), Ni, Cu, Zn, Co, Fe, aluminum (Al), Cd and arsenic (As). LODs 0.03 µg/kg (Cd) to 21.5 µg/kg (Al); LOQs 0.09 to 65.2 µg/kg. CRMs NIST SRM 1547 peach leaves and LGC AF-038, recoveries 90% to 109.3%; RSD 2.1% to 13.9% (p. 7). Values below LOD were set to the LOD for risk calculations. Below-LOD counts: Hg 15, As 12, Pb 6, Cd 5 of 32 (p. 7).
Limitations: four composites per vegetable from one city in one month. The CRMs are plant and feed materials, not vegetables. Of the eight vegetables only leek grows mostly above ground; the rest are roots, tubers or bulbs.
Implications
Certification: Good-quality fresh-weight market data for root, tuber and bulb vegetables, with celeriac cadmium the one regulatory exceedance. For the non-root vegetables page it is a close-matrix comparator, not direct evidence.
Courses: A worked example of deterministic versus Monte Carlo dietary risk.
App: Supports low lead estimates and a celeriac-specific cadmium flag.
Microbiome: Not applicable.
Related evidence
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