Assessment of Non-carcinogenic Risk of Nitrate in Agricultural Products

Nitrate content is one of the most critical factors to determine the quality of vegetables, and its permissible limits in food chain is important to the human health. Due to the harmful effects of nitrate, many studies have been conducted on its accumulation in crops in recent years. This study assessed the nitrate concentrations in some edible vegetables and the associated health risks. 

In this descriptive study, raw agricultural produce, such as leafy vegetables, tubers, cucurbits, kitchen produce and edible grains were collected in the winter and summer. The samples were then transferred to a laboratory by maintaining the temperature-controlled supply chain. After preparing the samples, the nitrate content was determined in each, using an Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometric (UV/Vis) unit. The data were analyzed statistically on SPSS v. 26.

The mean nitrate contents in leafy and kitchen produce, grains, and tuber vegetables were approximately 130, 48, 101, and 61ppm, respectively. The average nitrate content in the winter was around 38ppm and in the summer about 44 ppm. The highest nitrate content was documented in spinach (1100.15 ppm) and the lowest in tomatos (20.97 ppm).

The results indicated that the highest nitrate content was found in leafy produce grown in northern Iran. The highest health risk for non-carcinogenic conditions was likely to be linked to the consumption of spinach and other edible vegetables, wheat, rice, and potatoes.