X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)-based Assessment of Element in Leafy Vegetables from Phu Tho Province
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study employed X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to analyze the concentrations of essential and potentially toxic elements in leafy vegetables (mustard greens, cabbage, and lettuce), with nutritional element levels determined and the target hazard quotient (THQ) as well as the hazard index (HI) calculated. The results showed that K was the most abundant, reflecting a typical nutritional characteristic of leafy vegetables. Comparative analysis with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Ministry of Health of Vietnam (MHV) data revealed that the studied vegetables contained generally higher levels of Ca and Fe, particularly in lettuce, and higher K, Ca, and Mg in mustard greens and cabbage, suggesting significant nutritional potential. Chromium was identified as the major contributor to non-carcinogenic risk, accounting for 66–93% of the HI values. These findings highlight both the nutritional value and potential health risk associated with leafy vegetable consumption, emphasizing the importance of monitoring Cr contamination in agricultural soils and irrigation water.
Keywords:
Nutrient element, elemental concentration, leafy vegetable, XRF
References
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Vol. 619-620, 2018, pp. 1349-1357, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.177.
[9] I. U. Cárdenas et al., Unravelling Arsenic Bioavailability in Floodplain Soils Impacted by Mining Activities, Sci. Total Environ., Vol. 947, 2024, pp. 174193, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174193.
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[23] P. Marschner, Z. Rengel, Nutrient Availability in Soils, in: Marschner’s Mineral Nutrition of Plants, Academic Press, 2023, pp. 499-522, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819773-8.00003-4.
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[25] J. Colmenero, J. D. F. Navarro, M. Rosales, Chloride as a Beneficial Macronutrient in Plants: Biological Functions and Regulation, Int. J. Mol. Sci., Vol. 20, 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20194686.
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[30] B. N. Thien, V. N. Ba, M. T. Man, T. T. H. Loan, Analysis of the Soil to Food Crops Transfer Factor and Risk Assessment of Multi-Elements at the Suburban Area of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), J. Environ. Manage., Vol. 291, 2021, pp. 112637, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112637.
[31] S. Prasad et al., Chromium Contamination and Effect on Environmental Health and Its Remediation: A Sustainable Approaches, J. Environ. Manage., Vol. 285, 2021, pp. 112174, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112174.
[32] A. Zayed, N. Terry, Chromium in the Environment: Factors Affecting Biological Remediation, Plant Soil,
Vol. 249, 2003, pp. 139-156, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022504826342.
[33] International Atomic Energy Agency, Worldwide Open Proficiency Test for Nuclear and Related Analytical Techniques Laboratories PTNAT-IAEA-19: Determination of Major, Minor and Trace Elements in a Clay Sample and in a Plant Sample, IAEA, 2019.