Cd and Cr Metals Burden in Fruits and Vegetables of Southern European Countries: A Review

The Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium (Cr) burden in fruits and vegetables in Southern European countries such as Turkey, Spain, Italy, Kosovo, Croatia, Greece, and Romania are compared and analyzed in this review article to account for any significant differences. Potential sources of the metals and their health issues have been underlined. Various reasons for the extent of the metals' uptake are highlighted, including species' nature, soil pH and atmospheric conditions. In Croatia, the highest Cd burden was observed in lettuce (1.16±0.24 mg/kg), followed by carrot (0.49±0.18 mg/kg) and onion (0.28±0.08 mg/kg). The concentration of Cd in peppermint and spinach has been reported as 0.004±0.001 μg/g and 0.024±0.001 μg/g, respectively, in Turkey. Spain's strawberries, melon, and bananas have shown 0.0025 mg/kg, 0.0028 mg/kg, and 0.0005 mg/kg of Cd, respectively. The Cr level in Croatia's vegetables was less than the instrument's detection limit. In Romania, its concentration in cabbage and potato root was 17.5 ± 0.7 mg/kg and 4.7 ± 0.3 mg/kg, respectively. Similarly, in Greece, the highest levels of Cr were found in green peas (0.21 ± 0.03 μg/g ), followed by onion (0.16 ± 0.07 μg/g) and cabbage (0.13 ± 0.08 μg/g). The fruits and vegetables of most regions have shown a greater burden of Cd than Cr. Several strategies could be implemented to minimize the extent to which the plants take up these metals and reduce their environmental risks.