Garden soil and vegetable pollution assessment of the upper meza valley (slovenia)

Soil pollution and accumulation of heavy metals in most common vegetables (lettuce, endive and carrot) were investigated in towns of Mezica, Zejav and Crna in 1998. Eighteen gardens in different distances from the lead smelter in Zejav were included in the field experiment. Cd, Pb and Zn were measured in topsoil samples, unwashed and washed edible green parts of lettuce and endive as well as roots of carrot. Results confirmed that soils and vegetables are still contaminated with Pb, Cd and Zn in the wide area of the Upper Mezica Valley. Grounds are strongly polluted with heavy metals (4.99 +/- 6.92 mgkg(-1), 1496.11 +/- 1071.02 mgkg(-1), 498.22 +/- 546.0 mgkg(-1) for Cd, Pb and Zn, respectively) and leafy vegetables on these grounds have a high Cd content (6.05 +/- 5.83 mgkg(-1), 4.05 +/- 4.32 mgkg(-1), 3.62 +/- 4.97 mgkg(-1), 2.42 +/- 2.07 mgkg(-1) for unwashed endive, unwashed lettuce and washed endive, washed lettuce, respectively).