Evaluation of Garden Crop Mercury Uptake and Potential Exposure from Consumption of Garden Crops Grown on Floodplain Soils |
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| Authors: | William R Berti Annette Guiseppi-Elie Elizabeth Quinn Richard H Jensen Dean Cocking |
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| Institution: | 1. DuPont Co. , Newark , DE , USA;2. DuPont Co. , Charlotte , SC , USA;3. USEPA Region 3, Land &4. Chemicals Division , Philadelphia , PA , USA;5. Unique Environ. Services , Wilmington , DE , USA;6. James Madison University, Department of Biology , Harrisonburg , VA , USA |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT This study investigated Hg uptake from soil into garden crops to help assess the significance of human consumption of crops as a potential route of exposure to Hg. Locations for both a floodplain and a control garden were identified within the Augusta Forestry Center near Crimora, VA, USA, which is about 16 river-km downstream from the city of Waynesboro, along the South River. The floodplain garden had measured soil Hg concentrations ranging from 4.2 to 78 mg Hg kg?1 dry weight basis in the surface to 15-cm deep layer. A total of 139 samples from the floodplain garden from 17 different crops were analyzed for Hg. All crop samples (except for nine) had less than 0.1 μg Hg g?1 wet weight basis (ww). Many samples were less than the method detection limit (MDL) of 0.003 μg Hg g?1 ww. Based on the measured Hg concentrations and several conservative assumptions (e.g., Hg assumed present when less than MDL; 100% consumption from the geographical area in which study was conducted; and 100% bioavailable Hg as methyl Hg), consumption of crops with these Hg levels is not expected to be a significant route of Hg exposure. |
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| Keywords: | Hg crop uptake hazard quotient exposure potential average daily dose floodplain gardens |
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