When it comes to food, safety and hygiene is the first thing that should come to our mind. It is essential to maintain a balanced and healthy diet to stay fit in the long run. Most importantly, the consumption of vegetables plays a crucial role in providing loads of nutrients to the body and should be selected with great attention to ensure it is fresh. However, certain harmful particles cannot be identified even though they look new and may contain heavy metals that may adversely affect health. Recently, as per the research done by the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute have tested many samples of vegetables and found contamination which was above the limit set by the food and agricultural organization.
Let us look into the effective methods that are prevailing today to detect heavy metal contamination:
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) is a standard method that is used to identify the heavy metal contamination in vegetables. This method is very accurate in finding the metal particles involved in the veggie and ensuring whether to use it or not. The challenging part is that metal comes in the form of various dangerous substances such as mercury and arsenic, which can grow in plants and subsequently come to the body, which has to be permanently cured following this effective method to make people safe from this serious problem. Hence, in this way, the safety can be tested, and the vegetables can be consumed with no fear.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is the latest method followed by medical experts, which helps to detect the sensitive and precise calculation of heavy metals. How does it work? It relies on the high-temperature plasma to ionize the sample, and another step is mass spectrometry to find and assess the ions. This procedure has the capability of evaluating plenty of heavy metals at the same time. It will also make the overall process more accessible for showing a plethora of adulterations in vegetables. As we are in the modern lifestyle, this method has to be given high importance and do it accordingly.
Electrochemical Technique
There are various methods involved in this technique, such as anodic stripping voltammetry, stripping voltammetry and oxidation of heavy metal. Most interestingly, it is relatively cheaper in contrast with the other advanced methods of detecting heavy metal contamination in vegetables. Moreover, it is straightforward, and there is no complication involved in the process. Expert these days prefer methods based on their financial soundness, and at the end of the day, the metals need to be detected from the vegetables, and that is what is essential.
All in all, finding heavy metal contamination in vegetables is very crucial to make sure the food is safe for the public. The respective professionals should unite together for mankind and use the methods effectively to find the dangerous metals. The selection of detection methods relies on factors such as cost-effectiveness, advancement and more. Sometimes, the combination of methods delivers quicker results and might have to be used under crucial circumstances. Strictly following the proper procedures will serve the purpose, and you can have a healthier life.
