Concentration of Residual Copper in the Bitter Gourd Samples Available in Punjab-Pakistan

Abstract

Copper is very common substance that occurs naturally in the environment and spread through natural phenomena. Human widely use copper. In agriculture copper sulfate is used as a pesticide and fertilizer. The trade includes many different chemical compounds that are used for vide variety of pest problems. The use of pesticide has improved the efficiency of growing crops & the quality as well as quantity of food produced. An atomic Absorption spectroscopic method was developed for determination of residual copper. Copper content was determined in duplicate. The copper concentration varied from 0.578-3.70 mg kg⁻¹. Residual copper contents determined in this study exhibited that fruits and vegetables from this part of the Asia could serve as good dietary source for essential trace metals and the residual copper levels are almost within safety limits for human consumption.