Assessment of potential health risk due to consumption of vegetables grown near a copper smelter in central Chile

Abstract

The intake of trace elements (TE) through the consumption of vegetables is a subject of great concern. This is due to the potential health problems caused by their consumption, which can be aggravated in mining areas. Therefore, the consumption of vegetables grown in this area could pose a risk to human health. As a consequence, this study aimed to (1) compare concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, and As in edible parts of vegetables (lettuce, chard, cabbage, potato, carrot and beetroot) grown near the Ventanas copper smelter (central Chile) and in a control area, and (2) estimate 25 the potential risk to human health associated with the consumption of vegetables grown in both areas. Concentrations of TEs in the edible tissues of vegetables were higher in the exposure area than in the control area, in most cases. The most significant difference was for leafy vegetables, with arsenic being the TE of concern. Lettuce was the vegetable of concern due to its relatively high consumption and relatively high concentration of TEs. In the studied area, there was no health risk associated with vegetable consumption in either the mining area or the control area because none of the HQ values surpassed 1.0.