Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture (MJSA)

Three varieties of local and imported vegetables—eggplant, pepper, and tomatoes—were gathered in Erbil. The heavy metals in vegetables, such as lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd), as well as the health risks they pose in Erbil, were examined using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF). The FAO/WHO safe limits for the concentration of heavy metals in vegetables were exceeded by the local and imported vegetables, with mean values mg kg-1 ranging from 40-122, 12-32, 15-55, and 3-8, respectively. The majority of the heavy metals under investigation exceed the FAO/WHO acceptable limit values. Estimates of the daily intake of the four main heavy metals (pb, Mn, Zn, and Cd) showed that imported and locally grown vegetables had high Cd consumption (7 and 8 mg kg-1). This study recommends that the Kurdistan region of Iraq and society as a whole be made aware of this issue and that its effects on the environment and public health be taken into consideration.