Contenidos de plomo en acelga común Beta vulgaris L., producida en el contexto de la agricultura urbana (Bogotá, Colombia)

Urban Farm DB summary

A study measured lead content in common chard (Beta vulgaris L., acelga) grown in an urban garden within 500 meters of two major roads in Bogotá, Colombia (at coordinates 4°42'39.6"N, 74°5'46.6"W). Before planting, lead content in the cultivated soil and irrigation water was analyzed as a preliminary diagnosis of possible contamination sources. Cultivation was done by hand, with no fertilizer or pest-control products applied to avoid bias. At harvest, 10% of the total planted population was randomly sampled and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry following AOAC official method 968.08, yielding 0 ppm lead. Based on this result, the authors conclude that urban agricultural production can be an option that supports food security, not only through macro- and micronutrient intake but also through food quality and safety, since no lead was detected in the plant tissue.