Heavy metals in foods from the Paraíba do Sul River valley, Brazil

Abstract The concentration of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Al in food samples including vegetables, cow's milk, and fish, from the Paraiba do Sul River valley, a highly industrialized area in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were determined. In general, heavy metal concentrations in the food samples were similar to those of published data with some exceptions. Among vegetables, the leafy ones consistently showed the highest content of most metals, particularly Cr and Al. Cow's milk was high in Cr, Fe, Pb, and Al but low in Cu. The edible portions of fish showed high levels of Cr. Heavy metal concentrations in fish samples were highest in the intestinal portions, particularly those of Al and Fe.