BIOACUMULAÇÃO DE MACRO E MICROELEMENTOS EM VAGEM DE GRÃO DE FEIJÃO-CAUPI EM ÁREA CONTAMINADA POR METAIS PESADOS

Abstract

Pollution in periurban areas resulting from anthropogenic activities such as increased traffic and poor solid waste management can lead to the accumulation of toxic metals (loids) in vegetables, affecting their nutritional quality and posing risks to human health. These elements are persistent pollutants that bioaccumulate, varying according to plant species and growing conditions, and can compromise food quality and lead to poisoning. The proximity of agriculture to urban centers, the use of contaminated soil and water, inappropriate fertilizers, and landfill leachate increase this risk. In this context, cowpeas—a legume native to Africa and widely cultivated in Brazil—stand out for their nutritional importance, being rich in carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals such as calcium and iron, in addition to having a low fat content, which is beneficial for metabolic health. In order to mitigate these impacts, the establishment of regulations such as limits on contaminants in food and guidelines such as the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) are fundamental for promoting and maintaining health. Given this, the objective of this study was to analyze the concentration of metals and metalloids in the pods and leaves of cowpeas grown near a highway with high vehicle traffic and a landfill, through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis, and to assess possible risks to human health through health risk assessment and quantitative analysis of chemical elements by Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL). Pod and leaf samples were collected at nine points between the highway and the landfill. Acid digestion was performed for ICP-OE analysis, macro and microelement dosage by ICP-OE, quantitative analysis of chemical elements by UL, and ingestion risk calculation to analyze the potential risk of health damage. Element concentrations were higher in the leaves than in the pods. Health risk analyses represented a chronic risk for adults. It was concluded that the plant is contaminated and its ingestion may cause toxicity.