Trace Metal(oid) Accumulation in Edible Crops and Poplar Cuttings Grown on Dredged Sediment Enriched Soil

The development of a biomonitor in the context of multiple-element contamination in urban environments was tested by comparing element transfer in edible crops and poplar (Populus trichocarpa Torr. x Populus maximowiczii A. Henry cutlivar `Skado'). A multielemental analysis was performed with various common edible crops (cucumber [Cucumis sativus L.], pepper [Capsicum annuum L.], cabbage [Brassica oleracea L.], and lettuce [Lactuca sativa L.]) and the Skado poplar cultivar grown on soils that received sediments dredged from water canals in the 1960s. Sediments were distributed unevenly on the soil, allowing us to sample two types of areas that were either weakly (Area 1) or highly (Area 2) contaminated, mainly by Cd, Pb, and Zn. We registered an accumulation of Cd and Zn in the edible parts of crops, with higher values recorded for leafy vegetables than for fruit vegetables. We did not detect any accumulation of Pb in the plant species studied. We calculated the fresh mass that must be consumed daily to reach tolerable daily intake (TDI) recommendations for each element and found evidence that Cd could be ingested in sufficient amounts to reach the TDI in this context. Poplar and pepper leaves accumulated more Cd and Zn than the edible parts of the study crops grown on both substrates, which suggests that poplar and pepper may be suitable species for biomonitoring element transfer to vegetation in this context.