Food safety assessment of planting patterns of four vegetable-type crops grown in soil contaminated by electronic waste activities

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of crop and planting pattern on levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and copper (Cu) in crops grown in soil contaminated by electronic waste. The crops were maize (Zea mays L. var. Shentian-1), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. Zhongshu-4), cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. Jingfeng-1), and pakchoi (Brassica chinensis (L.) Makino. var. Youdonger-Hangzhou). The planting patterns were crop monoculture, crop co-planted with a legume, and crop co-planted with another crop. Metal concentrations in the edible parts of the crops varied with types of metals and crops. Pb concentration was higher in leafy vegetables (cabbage and pakchoi) than in maize or tomato, Cd concentration was higher in tomato and pakchoi than in maize or cabbage, and Cu concentration was higher in maize and pakchoi than in tomato or cabbage. Metal concentrations in the edible part were also influenced by planting pattern. Relative to monoculture, co-planting and especially co-planting with Japanese clover tended to decrease Pb accumulation and increase Cd accumulation. According to the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) standard of the National Standard Agency in China, only maize (under all planting patterns) could be safely consumed. Because co-planting tended to increase Cd accumulation even in maize, however, the results suggest that maize monoculture is the optimal crop and planting pattern for this kind of contaminated soil.

► Metals in the edible parts of the crops varied with types of metals and crops. ► Metal concentrations in the edible part were influenced by planting patterns. ► Co-planting decreased Pb but increased Cd accumulation in the edible part of crops. ► Crop pollution by metals could be avoided by selecting proper planting patterns.