Fragmented contaminant monitoring can miss the point at which a low soil signal becomes a food-chain priority. This study integrated aggregated dissertation datasets on potentially toxic elements, anthropogenic radionuclides and pesticide residues across irrigated agroecosystems of the Syrdarya Region, Uzbekistan. The underlying programme covered 20 control points in Gulistan, Khavast and Mirzaabad during 2020–2025; observation windows differed among datasets. Soil metals were measured by atomic absorption methods, 137Cs and 90Sr by gamma- and beta-spectrometric procedures, and selected pesticides by gas–liquid chromatography. Because raw replicate-level data, complete detection-limit metadata and measurement uncertainties were unavailable, the analysis was descriptive. Ratios to the dissertation’s analyte–matrix working criteria were used only for within-pair prioritisation, not as universal regulatory compliance or health-risk metrics. Soil Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb remained low relative to those criteria (maximum ratio 20.7%). By contrast, the highest vegetable signals reached 95% for Pb, 62.5% for Cd, 100% for As and 90% for Hg. Regional mean criterion fractions in beef were 60.8% for Pb, 46.0% for Cd, 43.0% for As and 20.0% for Hg; milk values were 42.0%, 46.7%, 36.0% and 40.0%, respectively. Soil radionuclide ratios were low, but maximum 90Sr fractions were 90% in beef, 88% in mutton and 98% in milk. All targeted pesticide observations in vegetables were below 0.001 mg kg−1; this denotes non-detection within a limited panel rather than absence. The resulting tiered framework prioritises confirmatory analysis of milk 90Sr and crop As/Pb/Hg, paired soil–plant sampling, and explicit reporting of n, LOD/LOQ and uncertainty. The study demonstrates that a transparent soil-to-food dashboard is more informative than a single cross-contaminant index when datasets are heterogeneous and regulatory thresholds are commodity-specific.
From Soil to Food: Integrated Risk-Based Assessment of Heavy Metals, Radionuclides and Pesticide Residues in Irrigated Agroecosystems of The Syrdarya Region, Uzbekistan
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Abstract
References
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