TY - JOUR
T1 - NON-ESSENTIAL METAL CONTAMINATION IN ECUADORIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: A CRITICAL REVIEW
T2 - A critical review
AU - NAVARRETE ZAMBRANO, HUGO GUILLERMO
AU - ROMERO ESTEVEZ, DAVID FERNANDO
AU - YANEZ JACOME, GABRIELA SALOME
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Non-essential metal contamination is a common issue worldwide. In the last decades, the primary contamination sources have been associated mainly with anthropogenic activities, but non-essential metals are also naturally present in the ecosystem. The latter applies to the Andean region, where various “contaminant” elements from volcanic and subsoil sources are present. In Ecuador, non-essential metal contamination in crops has gained attention in the last three decades and has been the focus of both domestic and international studies on agricultural products. Because of globalized commerce and demand for healthier products, international regulations regarding maximum permissible limits for certain metallic elements are becoming increasingly rigorous, requiring production systems that guarantee food safety. While Ecuador has specific regulations, they are not comprehensive for all non-essential metal contaminants that are harmful in certain amounts. Further, existing regulations are not fully enforced, and government control systems are inefficient, which increases the population's possibility of exposure to pollutants. This review compiles and discusses results from studies on metal contamination, their availability in the environment, translocation in vegetables, and consumption-related health problems to evaluate whether current Ecuadorian agricultural product regulations ensure food quality and safety in terms of non-essential metal pollution.
AB - Non-essential metal contamination is a common issue worldwide. In the last decades, the primary contamination sources have been associated mainly with anthropogenic activities, but non-essential metals are also naturally present in the ecosystem. The latter applies to the Andean region, where various “contaminant” elements from volcanic and subsoil sources are present. In Ecuador, non-essential metal contamination in crops has gained attention in the last three decades and has been the focus of both domestic and international studies on agricultural products. Because of globalized commerce and demand for healthier products, international regulations regarding maximum permissible limits for certain metallic elements are becoming increasingly rigorous, requiring production systems that guarantee food safety. While Ecuador has specific regulations, they are not comprehensive for all non-essential metal contaminants that are harmful in certain amounts. Further, existing regulations are not fully enforced, and government control systems are inefficient, which increases the population's possibility of exposure to pollutants. This review compiles and discusses results from studies on metal contamination, their availability in the environment, translocation in vegetables, and consumption-related health problems to evaluate whether current Ecuadorian agricultural product regulations ensure food quality and safety in terms of non-essential metal pollution.
KW - Andean region
KW - Crop contamination
KW - Food safety
KW - Natural products
KW - Non-essential metals
KW - Public health
KW - Soil contamination
KW - Trace metals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138784651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jfca.2022.104932
DO - 10.1016/j.jfca.2022.104932
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85138784651
SN - 0889-1575
VL - 115
JO - Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
JF - Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
M1 - 104932
ER -