Background. Heavy metal pollution is a significant risk to human, animal and plant health due to their toxicity and their accumulation in biological tissues. The aim of this study is to determine the concentrations of nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn) in cherries, sour cherries, raspberries and blackberries grown in three different regions near a lead-zinc ore smelter. Nickel and manganese was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The bioconcentration factor of nickel and manganese, which provides information on the intake and accumulation of metals in plant tissues, was also determined.
Results and conclusions. The highest concentration of Ni was measured in sour cherries (48.2 mg/kg d.w. or 7.04 mg/kg w.w.), and of Mn in raspberries (72.7 mg/kg d.w. or 12.5 mg/kg w.w.). In addition, in the region that was the furthest from the smelter, measurements showed the lowest Mn concentration in cherries and the lowest Ni concentration in raspberries. Furthermore, the daily intake rates (DIR) for Mn and Ni were higher in berries, but lower than tolerable daily limits. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) for manganese in stone fruits is lower than that of berries and much lower than that for Ni for both types of fruit. Stone fruits showed a greater ability to accumulate nickel, and berries displayed a greater ability to accumulate manganese. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the differences in the concentration of manganese between stone and berry fruits are statistically significant, while those of nickel are not statistically significant.