Dr. Umar Aitsaam

Integrated low-temperature biochar, compost, and NPK improved maize yield, nutrient status, SOC, and pH in calcareous soil, with metal-relevant input characterizations informing HTMC compliance.

What was studied?This original study examines heavy metal accumulation in sweet potato irrigated

The study shows heavy metal content in sweet potato skyrockets with gold-tailings admixture, often above food limits; manure moderates some uptake but not enough for safe consumption.

Validation and surveillance show metals below MALs, but skin-associated Cd and Pb in sweet potatoes and low-level Cd in potatoes require peel-state-aware certification and routine monitoring to support HTMC.

Organic fertilizer lead transfer to vegetables is amplified by poultry-litter transformations that increase soluble Pb and reduce adsorption, driving frequent exceedances in edible crops.

Field data show phytoremediation properties of sweet potato enable Pb and Zn hyperaccumulation near lead tailings, with moderate ecological risk and clear tuber-dominant partitioning, informing HTMC certification controls on biomass use, monitoring frequency, and soil risk categorization.

Field data from an e-waste region show soil Cd, Cu, and Zn pollution, high dietary risk from lettuce and sweet potato, and safer options in cabbage and cowpea, informing heavy metal certification vegetables protocols.

Field data show which cultivars keep cadmium and lead in sweet potato cultivars’ flesh below limits, quantify shoot-driven risk, and define HTMC-ready choices.

A global review linking sources, soil–plant impacts, food-chain risks, and remediation to heavy metal contamination certification, with clear HTMC implications.

Heavy metal contamination in spinach, especially cadmium and lead, poses global food safety risks. This article reviews recent surveillance data and evidence-based remediation—from soil and irrigation management to processing and verification—helping retailers and manufacturers reduce exposure, prevent recalls, and achieve compliance certification.