Abstract: In India, urban food security is becoming more of a worry. By 2030, it is expected that 65% of India's population would be living in cities. Through the eating of vegetable crops, heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) have been found as a concern to human health. These metals can offer a serious health issue to people, especially in amounts that exceed the body's minimal requirements. As a result, increasing the production and consumption of fresh vegetables is an important priority, and humans have a right to quality food and to know that the vegetables they eat are not contaminated beyond permissible safe limits. Major pollutants identified on the surface and in the tissue of fresh vegetables are discussed in this article. It covers the consequences of extended human ingestion of these hazardous amounts of contaminants in mankind, as well as the rising danger of growing contaminations in food. The article concludes with recommendations to promote the consumption of healthy and nutritious fruit and vegetable products, emphasizing the need of increasing supply and optimising nutrient content to benefit consumers.
Key words: heavy metals, vegetable contamination, health issues, quality of food, limits of metals in fruits & vegetables
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