Research Publications (Food Safety)

In Japan, little has been reported on cadmium (Cd) concentration in upland soils, and its relation to Cd concentration in crops and vegetables other than rice. Cd concentration in the surface soils and potato tubers of growers’ fields in two main potato production areas in Japan with contrasting soil types (Andisols and Inceptisols) was investigated. Soil and tuber samples were obtained from 90 growers’ fields with variable management histories.

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are harmful to humans, and their concentrations in rice are affected by the water management strategies used in paddy fields. Water management, however, is considered a burden for farmers, and thus an efficient strategy by which to decrease As and Cd concentrations in brown rice is desired.

Acid rain (AR) and atmospheric particulate matter (APM) are important environmental issues that often occur simultaneously in agricultural regions, the combined pollution of AR and atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) containing heavy metals has negatively affected the growth of seedlings and has become a hot research topic. In this paper, we established exposure scenarios to simulate the AR and the cadmium-containing PM2.5 (PM2.5-Cd) pollutions.

ABSTRACT

The thermal-activated serpentine prepared by heating natural serpentine at different temperatures was used to immobilize cadmium (Cd) in simulated contaminated soils. The results showed that the increasing soil pH induced by adding serpentine was primarily responsible for reducing the content of TCLP-Cd (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure-Cd) in soil.

Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are toxic trace elements which are not essential for plants but can be easily taken up by roots and accumulated in various organs, and cause irreversible damages to plants. A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the individual and combined effects of Cd (0, 10, 20 mg kg−1) and Pb (0, 500, 1000 mg kg−1) level in a calcareous soil on the status of mineral nutrients, including K, P, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn, in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants.

In-situ sorbent amendment is a relatively low-cost, low-impact approach for remediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals (HMs), and thus is considered a way to be favored in developing countries. In this study, materials of non-hazardous, alkaline agronomic and industrial by-products were used as sorbents to explore their capacity of in situ immobilization of multiple HMs in mining-impacted arable soil.

Cadmium (Cd) has an important impact on agriculture, as the excessive consumption of this element from contaminated food crops leads to toxicity in humans. Rice is the greatest source of dietary Cd intake in populations consuming rice as a staple food. Therefore, reducing the Cd concentration of rice grains for diminishing the potential risk of Cd for human health is a major challenge. This review summarizes the main achievements on Cd accumulation in rice by our research group.