Overview
Moiseenko and colleagues analysed wild blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and cowberries from ten Russian regions by X-ray fluorescence for strontium, lead, arsenic, zinc, nickel and chromium. They report that the two species accumulated metals similarly, with strontium, zinc and chromium highest, and that average levels were below Eurasian standards. All values are shown only in two figures.
Key numbers
- No concentrations are printed in the text; results are in Figures 1 and 2 only.
- Cobalt, vanadium and titanium oxide were not detected by the method (Section 3).
Methods (brief)
Berries were cleaned, washed, air-dried and convectively dried at 45 to 50 °C to about 10% moisture, ground to 0.2 mm and analysed by X-ray fluorescence (Spectroscan Max G). No detection limits or quality control are reported.
Evidence Fitness
Figure-only results, unknown sample numbers, no QA and a low-sensitivity XRF method make this weak evidence. The berries are wild bilberry-type Vaccinium myrtillus printed as blueberries, and they are an ingredient proxy for blueberry-muffin, not a measurement of the muffin.