Table 9 The content of some heavy metals in saffron stigma samples produced under organic or conventional production systems, in different regions of Iran.

From: Organic versus conventional saffron production: apocarotenoid content and heavy metal contamination in Iran

Region-field age (year)

Production system

Cobalt, Co (ppb)

Lead, Pb (ppb)

Arsenic, As (ppb)

Birjand-1*

Organic

< 0.5**

< 1.5**

n.d***

Conventional

3.00

< 1.5

n.d

Birjand-2

Organic

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Conventional

12.08

< 1.5

n.d

Birjand-4

Organic

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Conventional

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Darmian-4

Organic

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Conventional

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Torbat-5

Organic

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Conventional

0.66

< 1.5

n.d

Fariman-7

Organic

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Conventional

3.95

19.43

n.d

Gonabad-10

Organic

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Conventional

< 0.5

< 1.5

n.d

Safe limit (ppb)♦

-

-

300

500

  1. *: Numbers show the saffron field age (year) in each region. **: Lower than LOQ (limit of quantification); ***: Lower than LOD (Limit of detection); ♦: Abou Fayssal et al.24.
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