This project will address the critical issue of potential heavy metal presence in plant tissues, specifically focusing on fruits and vegetables grown for the Tucson community. The aim is to create a comprehensive database of elemental concentrations in produce from Biosphere 2's hydroponics facility and the University of Arizona Community Garden, located at 1400 E. Mabel St. The initiative will involve student-led sampling, data processing, and the development of an online dashboard offering real-time information, recommendations, and educational resources. The project's impact will extend beyond data collection, fostering community engagement through outreach and the public-facing dashboard.
The UA Database for Metal Contaminants in Produce team contributed ~207 hours total between students and staff that dedicated their time to completing all the planned sampling in Biosphere 2 and the University of Arizona Community Garden. They were able to collect 141 samples, process 50 and scan 16. At the University of Arizona Community Garden plots, they collected samples from up to 3 individuals of each species present. At the Biosphere 2 Freight Farm, they collected up to 5 samples of each species present. After bringing each plant sample to their lab, they thoroughly washed each sample in three separate water baths and used brushes to remove any remaining dirt. They then separated each plant’s roots, stems, leaves, and flowers/buds to primarily focus on their leaves. The plant tissue was then left to dry for three days and grounded into a fine powder. After grinding, each sample was scanned with a portable Xray Fluorescence (pXRF) Analyzer that uses an Xray beam to cause the atoms in the sample to emit a specific energy which sends its own energy signature for the pXRF to read and convert into a number.
After collecting data, they found that none of the plants they measured had hazardous metal concentrations. All outcomes and details can be found at https://pse.arizona.edu/database.html
