EFFECT OF A HIGHWAY'S TRAFFIC ON THE LEVEL OF LEAD AND CADMIUM IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES GROWN ALONG THE ROADSIDES

Samples of fruits (grapes, pomegranates, and tomatoes), and vegetables (onions, potatoes, and spinach) were collected directly from randomly selected commercial farms along the Tripoli-Zawiya major road, at the appropriate harvest seasons, during the period of May through November 1988. The objective was to determine the extent of contamination of the crops with toxic heavy metals, lead and cadmium, from traffic emissions. For the purpose of comparison, similar crops were collected, within the same periods, from farms in Waddy Al-Rabia, far away from any major road.
The samples were dry-ashed, and analyzed using flameless Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).
The statistical analyses of the experimental data showed that the major road contributed significantly (P < 0.05) to higher concentrations of lead in all the crops examined; and also cadmium in all the crops except in potatoes. Vegetable crops were found to have higher contents of these two metals than the fruits. Substantial amounts of these metals could be removed by washing the samples with triple distilled water.