Metals in spring plants in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and health risks

The objective of the current study was to determine the levels of heavy metals in three spring plants (Gundelia tournefortii, Tragopogon porrifolius, and Terfezia boudieri), using an ICP-OES device in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Mean levels of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in G. tournefortii were 0.07, <LOD, 0.27, 6.37, 112, <LOD, 6.50, 0.52, 0.15, 0.28, and 10.3 mg/kg, respectively; in T. porrifolius, these were < LOD, 0.04, 0.43, 8.58, 36.1, <LOD, 10.6, 0.26, <LOD, 1.09, and 10.3 mg/kg, respectively; and in T. boudieri, mean levels were 0.02, <LOD, 0.09, 12.9, 189, <LOD, 7.95, 0.10, 0.05, 3.66, and 33.9 mg/kg, respectively. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from metal exposure by consumption of spring plants were assessed, showing that there were no non-carcinogenic health risks for Iraqi adults, but children faced notable carcinogenic risks from As, Cr, and Ni in the investigated plant samples.