Fruits and vegetables contaminated with particles of heavy metals: A narrative review to explore the use of electromagnetic fields as an alternative treatment method

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution is a growing problem in the world. Regardless of the amount of heavy metal concentration in the soil, heavy metals can be easily absorbed by vegetable roots and accumulate in high concentration in the edible parts of plants. Studies have been conducted to associate the application of electromagnetic fields to treat fruits and vegetables contaminated with heavy metals. Primarily, this paper provides knowledge on the use of electromagnetic fields to remove heavy metals from contaminated fruits and vegetables and subsequently to highlight health effects associated with consumption of fruits and vegetables contaminated with heavy metals. In this paper, Google Scholar, PubMed, NCBI Science Direct, and Research Gate were utilized to conduct a literature search. Out of 72 articles, 51 were selected and used to compile this paper. A comparison of studies was conducted on the possible health effects of consuming fruits and vegetables contaminated with heavy metals. The application of electromagnetic fields to treat fruits and vegetables contaminated with heavy metals should be implemented as one of the methods necessary to remove heavy metals, as they are environmentally friendly and do not use chemical agents or microbiota.

Keywords:

• electromagnetic fields
• health effects
• heavy metals
• fruits and vegetables

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research project received no external funding.

Notes on contributors

Phoka C Rathebe

Dr. Phoka Rathebe is young emerging scholar appointed as a senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health. He focuses on exposure assessments for ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

Lerato G. Mosoeu

Lerato Mosoeu is a MHSc. Environmental Health student at the Central University of Technology, Free State, Department of Life Sciences. His project is supervised by Dr Carien Weyers and Dr Phoka Rathebe.