During the study, specialists analyzed samples from the Batken region, where a technogenic impact zone is observed, and the Talas region, which served as a control area.
A total of 50 samples of potatoes and carrots were examined: 16 samples of potatoes and seven samples of carrots from the Batken region, as well as 19 samples of potatoes and eight samples of carrots from the Talas region. Each sample was analyzed both in the skin and in the pulp of the root vegetables, including peeled and unpeeled samples.
Specialists investigated the content of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, and selenium using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
The highest levels of contamination were found specifically in the skin of the vegetables, even after thorough washing.
The most notable contaminants were cadmium, antimony, mercury, and arsenic. In some cases, the levels of cadmium and mercury exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations.
The authors of the study emphasize that the skin of root vegetables can accumulate toxic metals from the soil, and regular consumption of such vegetables may pose a serious health threat to the population.
Photo on the main page is illustrative: kaztag.kz.
