Evaluation of the residuality of persistent organic pollutants and metals in tropical fruits from La Unión, Antioquia, Colombia

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals are a global concern due to their adverse effects on human health and the environment. These compounds accumulate in the food chain and can have both acute and chronic toxic effects on living organisms. The objective of this research was to monit...

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Autores:: Castañeda Vargas, Jovan Mateus

Tipo de recurso:

Fecha de publicación:: 2025

Institución:: Universidad de Antioquia

Repositorio:: Repositorio UdeA

Idioma:: eng

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Summary:	Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals are a global concern due to their adverse effects on human health and the environment. These compounds accumulate in the food chain and can have both acute and chronic toxic effects on living organisms. The objective of this research was to monitor and measure the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and heavy metals in fruits and soils using validated analytical methods. In this study, a total of 56 samples were collected: 21 samples of avocados (Persea americana L. Hass), 14 samples of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) and 21 samples of purple passion fruit (Passiflora pinnatistipula). The validation of the method was successful, and the following maximum PAHs concentrations in avocados were found: 17.5 μg/kg of fluoranthene, 4.58 μg/kg of phenanthrene, and 4.39 μg/kg of pyrene. In purple passion fruit, the maximum concentrations were 1.69 μg/kg of fluoranthene, 1.15 μg/kg of phenanthrene and 1.20 μg/kg of pyrene. For cape gooseberries, fluoranthene and pyrene were the most prevalent hydrocarbons, with concentrations of up to 6.09 μg/kg and 1.70 μg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of PAHs in all soil samples yielded a maximum value of 137 μg/kg, which falls below the contamination threshold of 200 μg/kg. The previous values, indicating hydrocarbon concentrations below the contamination threshold, serve as strong evidence for the absence of contamination in these soils. The organochlorine pesticides heptachlor and chlordane were found in avocado samples. Soil analysis showed that avocado and purple passion fruit soils have a W 4,4'-DDT / W 4,4'-DDE ratio greater than one, ranging from 1.11 to 6.12. A possible association with Dicofol could be suggested based on data reported in other studies. Polychlorinated biphenyls were present in soils at constant levels; however, no traces of polychlorinated biphenyls were found in fruit samples above the detection limit. Regarding metal contents, levels of mercury were detected in all three fruits, and avocado showed the highest concentration of 367 ± 66.0 μg/kg. The highest concentration of lead was detected in avocado, with a value of 372 ± 74.5 μg/kg. Additionally, the highest concentration of arsenic was found to be 174 μg/kg in cape gooseberry, which exceeded the maximum residue limit. In soil samples, mercury and cadmium were the only metals that exceeded their corresponding maximum permitted levels of 0.45 mg/kg and 1mg/kg respectively. Specifically, Mercury values ranged from 0.614 ± 0.114 mg/kg to 11.30 ± 2.11 mg/kg while cadmium varied between 2.21 ± 0.443 mg/kg and 145 ± 29.0 mg/kg. These values indicate that the soil is contaminated. To evaluate a possible source of contamination, metals were measured in the irrigation water. Concentrations of Hg and Pb were found with the following average values: for Hg, 1.15 ± 0.13 µg/L in avocado farms; 1.01 ± 0.11 µg/L in passion fruit farms, and 1.04 ± 0.11 µg/L in cape gooseberry farms. For Pb, concentrations of 13.0 ± 1.1 µg/L were detected in avocado farms, 6.10 ± 0.54 µg/L in passion fruit farms, and 3.10 ± 0.27 µg/L in cape gooseberry farms. The former values indicate a potential source of irrigation water contamination, which could carry metals to both the plant and the soil. Monte Carlo simulations for risk analysis indicated that, at the 95th percentile, the non-carcinogenic risk for PAHs and organochlorine pesticides remained below the critical threshold of 1. Among the metals analyzed, mercury posed a non-carcinogenic risk for 15% of the population, while lead exceeded the threshold in 20% of cases, although no carcinogenic risk was identified for lead in the fruits evaluated. This research highlights the importance of continued monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in both food and soil to effectively mitigate risks and ensure the safety of public health and the environment.

Evaluation of the residuality of persistent organic pollutants and metals in tropical fruits from La Unión, Antioquia, Colombia

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