Bengaluru health risk: Vegetables sold in city have dangerously high lead levels, even 'organic' not immune

Vegetables

• High lead and pesticide levels found in Bengaluru vegetables
• Even 'organic' produce showed lead up to 20 times the safe limit
• Report calls for more research and farmer awareness on contamination risks

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A fresh investigation by central pollution authorities has confirmed what an environment watchdog first flagged nearly two years ago — that vegetables grown and sold in and around Bengaluru are tainted with dangerously high levels of lead and pesticide residues.

The findings, part of a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), have revealed that even produce sold as 'organic' is not immune to contamination, the Deccan Herald reported.

The study, conducted by a five-member committee formed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), analysed 72 vegetable samples collected from markets and agricultural fields in Nelamangala, Rajajinagar, Kolar and Chikkaballapur. Of these, 19 samples were found to contain lead far exceeding the permissible limits set under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR).

The most startling revelation was in a sample of brinjal marketed as organic, which contained 1.953 mg/kg of lead — nearly 20 times the safe limit of 0.1 mg/kg. Little gourds (tondekai) followed closely, showing lead concentrations 18 times above the standard. Flat beans registered 1.825 mg/kg of lead, nine times the permissible 0.2 mg/kg.

Leafy greens and cabbage were also severely affected, recording lead levels five times higher than the prescribed limit of 0.3 mg/kg. Other commonly consumed vegetables found to be contaminated include cucumber, ridge gourd, capsicum, beetroot, bitter gourd, turnip, squash and chilli bajji.

The investigation, which utilised laboratories approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), specifically pointed to lead as the primary metallic contaminant. This contrasts with an earlier study by the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI) in 2023, which had flagged a broader range of heavy metals. The CPCB committee's findings, however, narrowed the focus to lead toxicity.

The contamination extends beyond the produce to the very soil it grows in. The committee collected 26 soil samples from 13 locations across Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Nelamangala. Alarmingly, 23 of these samples were found to be contaminated, suggesting a deep-rooted environmental issue that could affect cultivation for years.

In a parallel health concern, the tests also detected residues of 12 pesticides exceeding FSSR standards. Vegetables including capsicum, chilli bajji, ginger and cucumber were the primary carriers of these chemical cocktails.

Among the most worrying detections was monocrotophos, a highly toxic pesticide that was banned in India in 2023 (with a one-year grace period to clear existing stocks). Samples of chilli bajji contained more than double the prescribed limit of this neurotoxin. Furthermore, the report notes the presence of pesticides like acephate, ethion, fipronil and profenofos — all substances that have been banned in the European Union due to their high toxicity.

While the findings are concrete, authorities have acknowledged that the probe was limited in scope. Responding to queries regarding why vegetable-growing areas on the southwest outskirts of Bengaluru were excluded, a member of the CPCB committee stressed that this report should not be viewed as a definitive map of contamination, but rather as a critical warning.

"This should be treated as a starting point," the committee member was cited by Deccan Herald as saying. "We need regular and comprehensive studies at the local level led by agriculture departments and agriculture universities to understand the extent of contamination and find remedial measures."

The report itself has recommended immediate further studies alongside initiatives to build awareness among farmers regarding the safe use of pesticides and the dangers of contaminated soil.

The investigation was set in motion after the NGT took suo motu cognisance of the 2023 EMPRI study, directing the CPCB to ascertain the ground situation. The tribunal is expected to review the findings, which lay bare the urgent need for stricter monitoring of food safety from the farm to the consumer's plate.