Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements01:27

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

23.2K
Elements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally occurring, and only a few of them are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.
Periodic Table Provides Information...
23.2K
The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements00:57

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

204.5K
Overview
204.5K
Types of Toxins01:36

Types of Toxins

3.9K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
3.9K
Minerals01:26

Minerals

1.5K
Minerals are essential nutrients that the human body needs in small amounts to work properly. They play a vital role in many bodily functions, such as building strong bones and transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are needed for hormone production or to maintain a normal heartbeat. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium, while trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
 
Major...
1.5K
Extraction: Advanced Methods00:56

Extraction: Advanced Methods

1.2K
Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...
1.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Climate and Land-Use Change May Reshape the Biogeography of Freshwater Crabs Across China.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

Seasonal influence on the efficacy of aquatic macrophytes as potential phytoremediation agents in urban wetlands.

Environmental monitoring and assessment·2026
Same author

Artificial surface water broadens the spatiotemporal footprint of herbivores and alters species responses.

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America·2026
Same author

Small Hydropower Plants With Ecological Flow Influence Nestedness of Riverine Algae: Insights From treeNODF Analysis in Oujiang River Basin.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

Microplastic assessment approaches for African freshwater biota: a review.

Integrated environmental assessment and management·2025
Same author

Functional redundancy enhances microbial resilience in streams: mitigating flow perturbations.

Frontiers in microbiology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Tolerance of Cabbage Butterflies to Urban Pollutants
08:08

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Tolerance of Cabbage Butterflies to Urban Pollutants

Published on: August 18, 2023

5.9K

Metal Concentrations in Edible Leafy Vegetables and Their Potential Risk to Human Health.

Elizabeth Kola1,2, Linton F Munyai1, Caswell Munyai2

  • 1Aquatic Systems Research Group, School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Nelspruit 1200, South Africa.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 27, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Heavy metals in South African vegetables pose health risks. Soil and leafy green vegetable contamination exceeded permissible limits, indicating potential health hazards for consumers.

Keywords:
bioaccumulationcarcinogenichealth riskheavy metalsleafy vegetables

More Related Videos

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability
09:23

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability

Published on: June 21, 2015

10.3K
TD-DFT Guided Advanced E-Eye Sensing Technique for On-site Quantification of Fe, Cr, F, and As in the Environmental, Biological, and Food Samples
09:51

TD-DFT Guided Advanced E-Eye Sensing Technique for On-site Quantification of Fe, Cr, F, and As in the Environmental, Biological, and Food Samples

Published on: September 19, 2025

534

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Tolerance of Cabbage Butterflies to Urban Pollutants
08:08

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Tolerance of Cabbage Butterflies to Urban Pollutants

Published on: August 18, 2023

5.9K
Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability
09:23

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability

Published on: June 21, 2015

10.3K
TD-DFT Guided Advanced E-Eye Sensing Technique for On-site Quantification of Fe, Cr, F, and As in the Environmental, Biological, and Food Samples
09:51

TD-DFT Guided Advanced E-Eye Sensing Technique for On-site Quantification of Fe, Cr, F, and As in the Environmental, Biological, and Food Samples

Published on: September 19, 2025

534

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Public Health
  • Food Safety

Background:

  • Leafy green vegetables are vital for nutrition but can be contaminated by heavy metals.
  • Heavy metal contamination in food poses significant risks to human health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate heavy metal bioaccumulation in vegetables and soils in Tonga town, South Africa.
  • To assess human health risks associated with consuming contaminated leafy green vegetables.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of five leafy green vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, rape, pumpkin leaves, spinach) and soil samples.
  • Assessment of bio-concentration factor, daily metal intake, health risk index, and target hazard quotient.
  • Comparison of metal concentrations against World Health Organization and Food and Agricultural Organization permissible limits.

Main Results:

  • Elevated concentrations of Si, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, and Fe were found in soils.
  • Vegetables showed high levels of Ca, Fe, Si, Al, and Sr; spinach had high Na.
  • Target hazard quotient indicated potential health risks from B, Si, V, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Pb.

Conclusions:

  • Analyzed metal concentrations in soil and vegetables exceeded established permissible limits.
  • Potential for substantial health risks exists due to heavy metal contamination.
  • Findings underscore the need for improved agricultural regulations and environmental protection.