{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,29]],"date-time":"2026-06-29T15:11:47Z","timestamp":1782745907410,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,5]],"date-time":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1612483200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Surface soil samples were collected near the Open Pit Bor (S1) and Open Pit Cerovo (S2), a grassland along the Borska Reka River (S3) and an unpolluted garden near Slatina village (reference site). Spontaneous plants (dandelion, nettle, coltsfoot, and creeping buttercup) and vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, celery, potatoes, dill, and sorrel) were obtained from the former three sites and the reference site, respectively. The samples were analyzed for Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Pb via FAAS. Pollution indices indicated low-to-moderate soil contamination at sites S1, S2, and S3. Cu was the main contaminant of environmental concern, being above the maximum admitted concentration at site S1. Metal levels in spontaneous plants were below phytotoxic levels. Cu content of leafy vegetables and celery roots and Pb content of most vegetables were not safe for human consumption. Metal concentrations tended to be significantly lower in plants than in soils, with only Cu occurring at significantly elevated levels in celery roots and sorrel leaves. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment showed that consumption of carrot roots and especially celery roots grown on unpolluted soils from the Bor area might pose long-term health risks for females and males, with the main contributors being Cu and Fe.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18041516","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,7]],"date-time":"2021-02-07T14:04:13Z","timestamp":1612706653000},"page":"1516","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["Potential Ecological and Human Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Soils in Selected Copper Mining Areas\u2014A Case Study: The Bor Area"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Marioara Nicoleta","family":"Filimon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timi\u015foara, 300115 Timi\u015foara, Romania"},{"name":"ANAPATMOL Research Center, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ion Valeriu","family":"Caraba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine \u201cKing Mihai I of Romania\u201d from Timisoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roxana","family":"Popescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ANAPATMOL Research Center, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gabi","family":"Dumitrescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ANAPATMOL Research Center, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine \u201cKing Mihai I of Romania\u201d from Timisoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Doina","family":"Verdes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ANAPATMOL Research Center, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liliana","family":"Petculescu Ciochina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine \u201cKing Mihai I of Romania\u201d from Timisoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adrian","family":"Sinitean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timi\u015foara, 300115 Timi\u015foara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kabata-Pendias, A., and Pendias, H. 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