The Level of Heavy Metals in Selected Vegetables Crops Collected from Baghdad City Markets

Abstract

Nineteen raw vegetable crops were collected from major markets in Baghdad areas uncontaminated by human activities other than normal agricultural practice. Six hundred samples were prepared and analyzed under carefully controlled conditions for cadmium, lead, iron, copper and Zinc. The Levels of these Heavy Metals in the vegetables were relatively low with respect to the proposed maximum acceptable concentrations for human consumption. In lettuce, spinach and parsley relatively high level of lead and cadmium were noticed compared with tomato, eggplant and onion. Iron was the only element that showed statistical variation among the different of vegetables.