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. 2013 Jan 15:443:299-306.
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.10.095. Epub 2012 Nov 29.

A greenhouse and field-based study to determine the accumulation of arsenic in common homegrown vegetables grown in mining-affected soils

Monica D Ramirez-Andreotta  1 , Mark L Brusseau, Janick F Artiola, Raina M Maier
Affiliations

A greenhouse and field-based study to determine the accumulation of arsenic in common homegrown vegetables grown in mining-affected soils

Monica D Ramirez-Andreotta et al. Sci Total Environ. .

Abstract

The uptake of arsenic by plants from contaminated soils presents a health hazard that may affect home gardeners neighboring contaminated environments. A controlled greenhouse study was conducted in parallel with a co-created citizen science program (home garden experiment) to characterize the uptake of arsenic by common homegrown vegetables near the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site in southern Arizona. The greenhouse and home garden arsenic soil concentrations varied considerably, ranging from 2.35 to 533 mg kg(-1). In the greenhouse experiment four vegetables were grown in three different soil treatments and in the home garden experiment a total of 63 home garden produce samples were obtained from 19 properties neighboring the site. All vegetables accumulated arsenic in both the greenhouse and home garden experiments, ranging from 0.01 to 23.0 mg kg(-1) dry weight. Bioconcentration factors were determined and show that arsenic uptake decreased in the order: Asteraceae>Brassicaceae>Amaranthaceae>Cucurbitaceae>Liliaceae>Solanaceae>Fabaceae. Certain members of the Asteraceae and Brassicaceae plant families have been previously identified as hyperaccumulator plants, and it can be inferred that members of these families have genetic and physiological capacity to accumulate, translocate, and resist high amounts of metals. Additionally, a significant linear correlation was observed between the amount of arsenic that accumulated in the edible portion of the plant and the arsenic soil concentration for the Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Fabaceae families. The results suggest that home gardeners neighboring mining operations or mine tailings with elevated arsenic levels should be made aware that arsenic can accumulate considerably in certain vegetables, and in particular, it is recommended that gardeners limit consumption of vegetables from the Asteraceae and Brassicaceae plant families.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
An aerial view of the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site, and the Dewey–Humboldt, Arizona residential area. Chaparral Gulch is a major waterway that runs through the Dewey–Humboldt area. Aerial photo source: Yavapai County, GIS, 2007. Basemap source: ESRI Street Map, 2006. EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., 2010.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Arsenic concentration in the edible portion of common vegetables as a function of soil arsenic concentration. All points are from this study; open symbols represent vegetables grown in the greenhouse (N = 4); closed symbols represent vegetables grown in home gardens.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Arsenic concentration in the edible portion of the Brassicaceae as a function of soil arsenic concentration. Open symbols (○) represent vegetables grown in the greenhouse (N = 4) and closed symbols (●) represent vegetables grown in home gardens.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Arsenic concentration in the edible portion of the Fabaceae as a function of soil arsenic concentration. Values were compiled from this study and from the literature. Open symbols (○) represent vegetables grown in the greenhouse, closed symbols (●) represent vegetables grown in home gardens, and the closed triangles (▲) represent values from the literature.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
A comparison of the average bioconcentration factor values for the current Gardenroots study and the literature values. The solid line represents a one-to-one relationship. Points above the line show plant families that have higher literature BCF values than Gardenroots values. Vice versa, points below the line would show plant families that have lower Gardenroots BCF values than literature values.
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