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Chromium and nickel in roadside grapes
G Pertoldi Marletta1, L Gabrielli Favretto, L Favretto
1Dipartimento di Economia e Merceologia delle Risorse Naturali e della Produzione, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy.
Food Additives and Contaminants
|April 1, 1989
Summary
Roadside wine grapes and leaves show detectable chromium and nickel pollution up to 50 meters from the road. This study models heavy metal concentration decrease with distance from the source.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Agronomy
Background:
- Roadside vegetation can accumulate heavy metals from vehicle emissions.
- Understanding metal deposition patterns is crucial for food safety and environmental monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify chromium and nickel concentrations in roadside wine grapes and leaves.
- To model the relationship between metal concentration and distance from a road source.
Main Methods:
- Samples of unwashed wine grapes and leaves were collected at varying distances from a straight road.
- Metal concentrations were analyzed using electrothermal atomization in a graphite furnace.
- A three-parameter exponential function was fitted to the data using nonlinear regression.
Main Results:
- Chromium and nickel concentrations decreased exponentially with increasing distance from the road.
- The pollution effect was detectable up to approximately 50 meters from the source.
- The model allowed estimation of asymptotic metal levels and roadside pollution levels.
Conclusions:
- Roadside wine grapes and leaves are susceptible to chromium and nickel contamination from vehicular traffic.
- The established exponential decay model provides a tool for assessing the extent of roadside pollution.
- Environmental monitoring strategies should consider deposition zones up to 50 meters from roadways.