TY - JOUR
T1 - Chromium, Cadmium, Lead, and Arsenic Concentrations in Water, Vegetables, and Seafood Consumed in a Coastal Area in Northern Vietnam
AU - Ngoc, Nguyen Thi Minh
AU - Chuyen, Nguyen Van
AU - Thao, Nguyen Thi Thu
AU - Duc, Nguyen Quang
AU - Trang, Nguyen Thi Thu
AU - Binh, Nguyen Thi Thanh
AU - Sa, Hoang Cao
AU - Tran, Nguyen Bao
AU - Ba, Nguyen Van
AU - Khai, Nguyen Van
AU - Son, Ho Anh
AU - Han, Pham Van
AU - Wattenberg, Elizabeth V.
AU - Nakamura, Hiroyuki
AU - Thuc, Pham Van
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Background: Heavy metal contamination and related risks for the environment and human health are matters of increasing concern. Methods: The levels of 4 heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, and As) were evaluated in 2 water types (surface and well), 4 types of seafood (tiger shrimp, stuffed snail, snake-head fish, and catfish), and 27 types of vegetables (12 leafy vegetables, 4 pea plants, 4 tuber vegetables, and 7 herbs) that are commonly consumed in northern coastal communes located in Vietnam. Atomic absorption spectrometry was employed for quantification. Results: The mean concentrations of heavy metals detected in water, seafood, and vegetable samples exceeded the national permitted standards and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation values by at least 2-fold, 2.5-fold, and 5-fold for surface water, vegetables, and well water, respectively. The concentrations of all 4 heavy metals detected in seafood samples were higher than the standards. The levels of heavy metals decreased with increasing distance between the sample collection point and the pollution source. Conclusions: This is the first report of heavy metal contamination of common sources of food and water in the northern coastal area of Vietnam. Significantly, the concentrations of heavy metals detected in study samples exceeded the regulatory limits. These results underscore the importance of continued monitoring and the development of intervention measures to ensure that the quality of food and water meets established standards and protects the health of the local population.
AB - Background: Heavy metal contamination and related risks for the environment and human health are matters of increasing concern. Methods: The levels of 4 heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, and As) were evaluated in 2 water types (surface and well), 4 types of seafood (tiger shrimp, stuffed snail, snake-head fish, and catfish), and 27 types of vegetables (12 leafy vegetables, 4 pea plants, 4 tuber vegetables, and 7 herbs) that are commonly consumed in northern coastal communes located in Vietnam. Atomic absorption spectrometry was employed for quantification. Results: The mean concentrations of heavy metals detected in water, seafood, and vegetable samples exceeded the national permitted standards and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation values by at least 2-fold, 2.5-fold, and 5-fold for surface water, vegetables, and well water, respectively. The concentrations of all 4 heavy metals detected in seafood samples were higher than the standards. The levels of heavy metals decreased with increasing distance between the sample collection point and the pollution source. Conclusions: This is the first report of heavy metal contamination of common sources of food and water in the northern coastal area of Vietnam. Significantly, the concentrations of heavy metals detected in study samples exceeded the regulatory limits. These results underscore the importance of continued monitoring and the development of intervention measures to ensure that the quality of food and water meets established standards and protects the health of the local population.
KW - Heavy metals
KW - Northern Vietnam
KW - coastal commune
KW - food contamination
KW - pollution
KW - water
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U2 - 10.1177/1178630220921410
DO - 10.1177/1178630220921410
M3 - Article
C2 - 32435129
AN - SCOPUS:85084645935
SN - 1178-6302
VL - 14
JO - Environmental Health Insights
JF - Environmental Health Insights
ER -