Food as a Potential Source
of Consumer’s Nitric Stress

Hortensia Radulescu1, Daniela Micu2, and Georgeta Burtica3

1 Faculty of Agriculture, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Timişoara, Romania
2 Directorate of Veterinary Sanitation and Food Safety of Timis County, Timişoara, Romania
3 Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Timişoara, University of Tehnology, Timişoara, Romania

Corresponding author: Eng. Daniela Micu
    Directorate of Veterinary Sanitation and Food Safety of Timis County
    4 Surorile Martir Caceu Str.
    Ro-1900 Timişoara, Romania
    Telephone: +0040256204911
    Fax number: +0040256204911
    E-mail: micudaniela@yahoo.com

CEJOEM 2005, Vol.11. No.2.: 87–92


Key words:
Nitrogen fertiliser dose, vegetables, depth water, nitrate content, nitric overload


Abstract:
The study reveals the most important nitrate sources of agricultural origin which often pollute food stuffs and drinking water. In areas of intensive nitrate fertilization and livestock breeding, crops and depth water become overloaded with nitrates. The nitrate content of carrot, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and parsley experimentally fertilized with various doses of nitrogen was measured at their harvest. The upper and deep layers of ground water in some settlements of Banat County (Romania) were also sampled and analysed for nitrates using the Griess method. The obtained results showed linear correlation between the nitrogen doses used as fertilizer and the nitrate content of vegetables and water samples. The values of the nitrate content of vegetables varied and depended on the analysed species, too.


Received: 27 December 2004
Accepted: 6 July 2005

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