Objective To assess the lead pollution in local vegetables through measuring the lead concentrations of selected vegetables grown in Anshun City.
Methods We collected 417 samples from 27 kinds of vegetables (including leafy, brassica, bulb, fruit, root, and bean vegetables), as well as irrigation water samples and soil samples, in suburb areas of Anshun. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to measure lead concentrations.
Results The average concentration of lead in the vegetables was (0.122& #177;0.062) mg/kg. The leading unqualified rates were found in bulb (6.10%) and leafy (4.70%) vegetables; unqualified vegetables were mainly concentrated along highways in the suburbs. Among the 27 kinds of vegetables, spinaches, chives, celeries, garlic bolts, eggplants, and carrots were graded as mildly polluted, and the rest were good.
Conclusion A fraction of local grown vegetables in Anshun suburbs are identified with mild lead pollution, and those near highways are more polluted.
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