Agricultural products, dairy, meat and feed products can be hazardous to human and animal health due to the content of such hazardous elements as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and other metals. They enter the human body through polluted air, water, soil and consumer goods. The main source of heavy metals is food, therefore, the content of these elements in them and in food raw materials is strictly standardized by sanitary standards.
One of the main causes of heavy metal contamination of food is soil as the primary source. Soil pollution is the process of degradation of the soil layer, in which it increases the level of harmful chemicals. The first indicators of pollution are plants that are affected in the first place.
The development of industrial activities of mankind, the development of the agricultural sector, waste and their disposal, oil accidents, and vehicle emissions affect most strongly the pollution and degradation of soil, the deterioration of its quality.
Soil contamination has great consequences. Harmful chemicals that enter the human body from plants grown on contaminated soil entail various congenital and chronic diseases, food poisoning. Also, plant growth is impaired due to the fact that many plants cannot adapt to a sharp change in the chemical composition of the soil. Heavy metals can be found in a wide variety of foods and of course in all liquids, especially water.
The problem is that it is almost impossible to detect the presence of heavy metals in food at home without laboratory tests. This requires specialized equipment. The Omsk Reference Center of the Rosselkhoznadzor (Omsky Biocluster member) has the necessary equipment and competencies to conduct certain tests, can accurately and reliably answer the question of whether there are heavy metals in products and in what quantity.
