Full Length Research Article
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Assessment of heavy metal contamination in vegetables collected from selected localities of Okara, Pakistan
Saba Younas, Syeda Anjum Tahira, Muhammad Umer Farooq*
Adv. life sci., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 167-173, June 2023
*- Corresponding Author: Saba Younas (sabayounas34@gmail.com)
Authors' Affiliations
[Date Received: 15/08/2022; Date Revised: 28/04/2023; Date Published: 30/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Abstract
Background: Human health is prone to heavy metals especially which become part of food chain by any means. Previously, no extensive nutritional studies are conducted on local food products and grains. The research work was carried out to observe level of heavy metals in vegetables sold or consumed in different localities of Okara city, Pakistan.
Methods: The concentration of heavy metals Nickel, Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper and Chromium in ten different types of vegetables collected from selected sites survey were analyzed using tri-acid method for atomic absorption spectrometer.
Results: The results showed that concentrations of all analyzed heavy metals were significantly (P≤ 0.05) different, except values of copper in collected vegetable samples. The average concentration ranged from 5.4 – 44.06 ppm of Cobalt, 5.7 – 9.63 ppm of Copper, 4.49 – 11.13 ppm of Cadmium, 4.59 – 33.77 ppm of Chromium and 8.58 – 13.68 ppm of Nickel. Mean concentrations of metals were found in following sequence Copper < Cadmium < Nickel < Chromium < Cobalt.
Conclusion: It was concluded that vegetables can accumulate high concentrations of Cobalt and Chromium while Nickel, Cadmium and Copper concentrates in low amount, from which level of chromium and cadmium surpasses the permissible limits by FAO/WHO especially in underground vegetables (Onion and Radish), which could be the cause of serious health issues. Hence, monitoring and assessment of contaminants in vegetables are periodically needed and public safety measures should be imposed.
Keywords: Heavy metal; Bio-concentration; Vegetables; Pakistan
Retraction Note
24 Sept 2025: The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article due to the below mentioned scientific deficiencies revealed by an internal audit.
1. The manuscript contains clear data inconsistencies. The abstract reports an incorrect concentration range for Nickel, and the Discussion reports an incorrect range for Cadmium, with both contradictions making the paper's summary of its own findings unreliable.
2. The authors demonstrate a basic misunderstanding of their primary statistical test, incorrectly stating that an ANOVA F-statistic shows "linear" or "non-linear" relations. This error calls into question the validity of the entire statistical analysis and the authors' competence in interpreting their data.
The authors do not agree to this retraction.
