An international literature-based dataset on metallic trace element contamination in kitchen garden plants

Urban agriculture is an attractive solution to counter artificialization and densification of (sub)urban areas, offering environmental, socio-economic and health benefits. Nevertheless, the transfer of metallic trace elements (MTE) from soil, water or air to crops raises concerns about potential health risks for consumers in urban environments. Assessing environmental suitability is therefore essential for safe food production. To support this, the BAPPET dataset compiles data on MTE concentrations in 90 edible plants commonly grown in kitchen gardens. Built from 528 international studies, the dataset also describes MTE content in the environment and key parameters influencing MTE transfer to plants: (i) Plant information: species, variety, cultivation conditions, harvesting details; (ii) Growing media: MTE concentrations in soil, air and water, agronomic soil parameters affecting MTE availability; (iii) Experimental context: MTE contamination sources, methodological details. With over 29,000 analyses, the BAPPET dataset provides a comprehensive data collection for the comparison of site-specific results in environmental diagnoses and for the construction and validation of transfer models.