The paper shows the existence of a toxic potential in the rural population food resources because of their nitrate concentration in vegetables and drinking water as a result of intensive agricultural practices. For this purpose, the nitrate content of the main vegetables cultivated by farmers and that of the well water used for drinking and watering, was established. The variation of nitrate content and the estimation of nitric overload in the village areas from the south -west area of our country have been pursuit in several localities, representative for their large vegetable yields, being a major source for the town market supply. Simultaneously with the consumption of vegetables, the nitrate ingestion is completed by the consumption of drinking water having as water source the wells water representing together the daily nitrate intake. The nitric depreciation degree of the analysed food resources was determinate by percentage calculation of the maximum permissible limit exceed, specified for each analysed vegetable or water sample. Nitric toxicity through vegetable or water consumption can be estimated considering the food assortment ingested through the daily food diet and vegetable foodstuffs intake, the foodstuff nitrate content and the consumer’s weight. To avoid in time, the appearance of serious toxic consequences on human health generated through body nitrate accumulation, FAO and WHO have established 3,65 mg nitrate/ kg consumer weight, as daily admitted intake of nitrate, meaning also not to exceed 50 mg nitrate/ l drinking water. The usefulness of the paper consists in preventing the consumer’s nitric contamination by drinking water from rural wells and consuming overloaded vegetables with nitrates. Exceeding the toxicity limit mentioned above, may induce serious illnesses like methemoglobinemia and cancer.

nitrate content, vegetables, well water, daily admitted nitrate intake, nitrate toxic potential

environmental engineering

Presentation: poster