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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Optimal Foraging: Foraging with Artificial Habitats and Prey - Concept
Edible weeds: Are urban environments fit for foraging?
Luís Fernando Amato-Lourenco1, Guilherme Reis Ranieri1, Vanessa Cristina de Oliveira Souza2
1Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Study Group on Urban Agriculture of the Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract:
Foraging wild-growing edible plants (WEPs) is a re-emerging practice with increasing popularity worldwide, including in urban areas. However, in cities, this practice raises questions about the safety of foraging these plants for human consumption, due to the potential exposure of plants to higher levels of pollutants. In this study, the concentration of 12 elements (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Rb, Cd, Ba and Pb) in three different WEPs (Amaranthus spp., Plantago tomentosa and Taraxacum officinale) were determined according to different traffic categories in the municipality of São Paulo. Additionally, plants were sampled within the inner areas of three municipal parks in the same study region. Different gradients of elemental concentrations were obtained according to the traffic categories. Freeways presented higher concentrations of several elements than local roads or parks. For the WEPs collected along freeways and some plants along arterial roads, the concentrations of Pb exceeded safety levels for human consumption. Our data suggest that foraging in large urban centres should be performed preferentially in low-traffic areas.
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