[Enrichment and Nutrition/Health Risks Assessment of Mineral Elements in Apples Growing in Yunnan's High Geological...

Considering the extremely high content of soil mineral elements in high geological background areas, it is crucial to understand the transportation and health risks of mineral elements in soil-plant systems. In this study, 30 soil and apple-paired samples were collected from the main apple production areas of Yunnan's high geological background region to determine the contents of mineral elements. The aim was to research the enrichment characteristics, nutritional values, and health risks associated with 12 mineral elements in apples. The results revealed that Cd, As, Pb and Cr contents in soil samples exceeded their corresponding risk screening values with percentages of 50%, 17%, 48%, and 30%, respectively. However, only 13.3% of Pb content in apple samples exceeded the safety limit （0.1 mg·kg^-1, fresh fruit）. In addition to the toxic elements, apples had higher contents of K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn, with average contents of 1.241 g·kg^-1, 0.045 g·kg^-1, 0.061 g·kg^-1, 0.648 mg·kg^-1, and 0.944 mg·kg^-1, respectively. The nutritional evaluation results showed that the index （INQ） of K and Cu were higher than 2 through the consumption of apples, suggesting that apple consumption was one of the primary sources of K and Cu intake. The health risk assessment revealed that the target hazard quotient （THQ） of a single heavy metal was： Cu > As > Cr > Pb > Zn > Cd； the hazard index （HI） of all heavy metals was far lower than 1, indicating that apple consumption did not pose significant heavy metal exposure risks. The results of this study will provide a scientific insight into the nutritional aspects and health risks associated with mineral elements in soil-plant systems within high geological background areas.