investigating the concentration of no3- and heavy metals in some leafy vegetables in the greenhouses of kermanshah county

Background: vegetables are an important part of healthy diet. this study investigated the concentration of heavy metals and nitrate (no3-) in leafy vegetables cultivated within selected greenhouses in kermanshah county.methods: the concentration nickel (ni), copper (cu), zinc (zn), lead (pb), iron (fe), and cadmium (cd) were determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer. no3- content was measured utilizing a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 410 nm. to assess the potential health risks associated with vegetable consumption, the health risk index (hri) for non-cancerous diseases was employed.results: a significant difference was evident among the three examined vegetables regarding their concentrations of heavy elements and no3-. spinach exhibited the highest no3- content at 203.33 mg/kg, while mint demonstrated the lowest at 113 mg/kg. among the studied vegetables, spinach exhibited the highest concentrations of no3- (203.33 mg/kg) and fe (177.66 mg/kg). coriander showed the highest concentration of cd (0.366 mg/kg) and ni (1.900 mg/kg), while mint displayed the highest concentration of cu (40.0 mg/kg). the concentration of ni, pb and cd in all three studied vegetables was higher than the world health organization (who) limit. the hri for non-cancerous diseases was less than one for the studied heavy metals, and it was higher than one for no3- in spinach (1.080).conclusion: given that prolonged consumption of vegetables poses a risk of carcinogenesis to consumers, it is imperative to implement corrective measures and maintain ongoing monitoring of heavy metal and no3- levels in crops cultivated within greenhouses in kermanshah.