Evaluation of the nitrate content in leaf vegetables produced through different agricultural systems

The nitrate content of leafy vegetables (watercress, lettuce and arugula) produced by different agricultural systems (conventional, organic and hydroponic) was determined. The daily nitrate intake from the consumption of these crop species by the average Brazilian consumer was also estimated. Sampling was carried out between June 2001 to February 2003 in Campinas, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Nitrate was extracted from the samples using the procedure recommended by the AOAC. Flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection at 460 nm was used for nitrate determination through the ternary complex FeSCNNO+. For lettuce and arugula, the average nitrate content varied (p < 0.05) between the three agricultural systems with the nitrate level in the crops produced by the organic system being lower than in the conventional system that, in turn, was lower than in the hydroponic system. For watercress, no difference (p < 0.05) was found between the organic and hydroponic samples, both having higher nitrate contents (p < 0.05) than conventionally cultivated samples. The nitrate content for each crop species varied among producers, between different parts of the plant and in relation to the season. The estimated daily nitrate intake, calculated from the consumption of the crops produced by the hydroponic system, represented 29% of the acceptable daily intake established for this ion.22121203120

A flow-injection spectrophotometric method for nitrate and nitrite,determination through nitric oxide generation

A flow injection method with novel spectrophotometric detection for the determination of nitrite and nitrate in foodstuffs is presented. The method is based on the reduction of nitrite and nitrate to nitric oxide, with subsequent reaction with iron (11) and thiocyanate in an acid medium, forming FeSCNNO+. The absorbance of the complex, with a maximum at 460 nm, is proportional to the nitrite and nitrate concentrations. The NO is generated in two stages: (1) reduction of nitrate to nitrite in a cadmium copper reductor column and (2) reduction of the nitrite to NO in a sulfuric acid medium. The influence of reagent concentrations and manifold parameters were evaluated. Nitrite and nitrate can be determined in the range of 0.30-3.00 and 1.00-10.00 mg l(-1), respectively. The sampling rate of analyses was 30-40 h(-1) and, considering a sample of 5.0 g, the determination limit of the method was 20 and 13 mg kg(-1) of nitrate and nitrite, respectively. Nitrite and nitrate were determined in vegetables and meat products by the proposed method. The precision and accuracy of the proposed method were comparable to those of the reference spectrophotometric method (official AOAC reference method for the determination of nitrate in foodstuffs). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.80459760