Trace and Major Elements in Food Articles in Latvia: Root Vegetables
Zane Vincēviča–Gaile, Māris Kļaviņš, Vita Rudoviča, Artūrs Vīksna
Environmental and Climate Technologies
Urban Farm DB summary
A study quantified element content in root vegetables (onion bulbs and carrot roots) grown in farmlands and allotment gardens in Latvia, using atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It measured 17 trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, V, Zn) and 5 major elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na), finding that carrot roots contained higher amounts of several elements than onion bulbs. Differences in element content were also found between the farmland-grown and allotment-garden-grown sample subgroups, with onions grown in farmlands more affected by contaminants.