Potentially toxic elements in grapevine varieties and soil in Serbia

Abstract

The accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in agricultural soils and their subsequent uptake by plants, posing risks to agricultural products and con­sumers is of particular concern for investigation. Vineyard soils are especially vulnerable to pollution from various sources, including agrochemicals, fertilizers and surrounding polluting activities. This research is based on the BCR sequential extraction method to assess PTE speciation in vineyard soil samples. Additionally, it investigates the bioaccumulation of PTEs in grapevines (Cabernet sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc) and evaluates potential health risks for consumers of grapevine products based on each investigated PTE. The find­ings reveal that certain PTEs, Cd, Mn, Ba, Co, Pb and Cu exhibit significant mobility and bioavailability in vineyard soils, emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring for food safety. The bioaccumulation potential, based on calculated biological accumulation concentration (BAC), exists for some elements, especially for Cu and Zn from easily avail­able soil phase. The human health risk assessment indicates that the consumption of grape­vine products poses minimal risk (HQ < 1) to consumers. Anyhow, among the investigated PTEs, Ba and Cu have the highest HQs. This research contributes to a better understanding of PTE dynamics in vineyard environments, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring and control measures to ensure agricultural product safety and protect consumers’ health.

Keywords

• potentially toxic elements
• soil
• bcr sequential extraction
• soil-grape­vine bioaccumulation
• risk assessment