The relationship of heavy metals contents in soils to their content in legume seeds used in famous traditional food in kurdistan region-iraq

In this work the level of risk heavy metals contents in Cowpea seeds comparison with heavy metal content in soil was studied. For the experiment three cowpea cultivars (brown, red, white) were used. Cowpeas were harvested at full ripeness in Kalak location in Erbil city. The flame AAS (AAS Varian AA Spectr. DUO 240 FS/240Z/UltrAA) was used for the determination of heavy metal contents in soil and plant materials. The soil which cultivated Cowpea, characterized neutral to slit alkali, with a typical content of cations K, Mg and P. Beans and the seeds of faba bean, cowpea and chickpeas boiled with salt eaten in the form of Lablabe, traditionly used heavy sweets such as knafa. Ful, which is fava beans cooked with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or make soup from fresh cowpea, fresh faba bean, fresh fasoulia, as well as lentil soup (shorbat adas) and different kinds of salad after boiled. Cowpea grain legumes occupy an important place in human nutrition, especially in the dietary pattern of low income groups of people in developing countries. The level risk heavy metal contents in the soil determined was only Cd content was on the level of limit value given for the soil extract by aqua regia as well as Co content was higher than the limit value given for the relationship between soil and plant. All of determined values were lower than critical value extracted by NH4NO3 only the maximal available soil content of mobile Pb forms was exceeded but cowpea accumulated seeds in amounts the risky elements contents, with the exception of Ni, did not exceed limit for the maximum levels of chosen risk elements in studied legume. The content of the metals studied with the exception of cadmium, not exceed the maximum permissible value in legumes, as defined in the Codex Alimentarius. The aim of this research, to study or determine the content of risky heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd) in the soil and their relationship in selected varieties cowpea seeds cultivar. Faba bean and Fresh bean with tomatoes uses for preparing soup, or a popular snack eaten on boiled and roasted in oil with egg or onion, other legume seeds broad bean, fababean, lentil, pea, chickpea used for different traditional foods in Iraq.