Assessment of Heavy Metal Levels in Cabbage Samples from Northern and Central Gondar Zones: Implications for Food Safety and Agricultural Practices, Ethiopia

In this study, cabbage samples were meticulously gathered from various locations in the northern Gondar (Debark and Dabat) and central Gondar zone (Amba-Giorgis, Arada, and Azezo) regions during June 2020. The purpose was to assess the presence and levels of heavy metals including Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), and Cadmium (Cd) within the sampled cabbages. To determine the concentrations of these metals, advanced analytical techniques involving atomic absorption spectrophotometry following optimizing by wet digestion process were employed The obtained results revealed metal concentrations within the cabbage samples ranging from 0.103 ± 0.004 to 0.151 ± 0.002 mg/kg for Cu, 0.104 ± 0.002 to 0.176 ± 0.002 mg/kg for Zn, 0.073 ± 0.007 to 0.135 ± 0.008 mg/kg for Cr, 0.119 ± 0.005 to 0.142 ± 0.003 mg/kg for Mn, 0.041 ± 0.004 to 0.209 ± 0.004 mg/kg for Pb, and 0.073 ± 0.007 to 0.135 ± 0.008 mg/kg for Cd. Notably, the highest concentration of Pb was observed in samples collected from the Arada site, while the lowest concentration was recorded in Dabat, in comparison to the other metals tested. Importantly, all metal concentrations detected were found to be below the permissible levels established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These findings collectively suggest a reassuring conclusion regarding the absence of significant contamination within the cabbage farms under investigation. This underscores the importance of continued monitoring and adherence to safety standards to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural produce for human consumption.