Response of heavy metal contents in apricots to different transportation modes

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of different transportation hubs on cultivated soil and apricots, macro and micro elements and heavy metal contents of fruit, leaf, kernel and soil samples collected from apricot orchards located at the border of the railroad, the motorway, the airport, and an orchard far from transportation modes were detected by ICP/OES (inductively coupled plasma / optical emission spectrometry). The results indicated the highest Cd, Pb and Ni contents of soil, fruit, and kernel samples under impacts of railroad transportation modes, whereas the highest contents of leaf were found under motorway side. All fruit samples contained higher amounts of Cd and Pb compared to permissible limits of FAO/WHO, and contents differentiated between sampling locations. There were no correlative relations found between transportation modes and macro-micro element contents. As a conclusion, in terms of heavy metal contamination, the orchards located at railway sides have the highest risk and this was followed by motorway side.