A Study of Concentration of Nitrates and Nitrites in Cucumbers Produced in Greenhouses in Tartous Governorate and its Risk on Human health

This study addresses the issue of the danger of the high amount of Nitrates and Nitrites found in Cucumbers grown in greenhouses in the coastal region in Tartous - Syria, one hundred samples of greenhouse Cucumbers (in their green state) were collected at random from 50 Greenhouses in ten villages in Sahil Akkar in Tartous the villages are: (Arzona, Madihli, A. Zibdi, B. Shofan, Shas, Riyaf, Zahid, Dkaiki, Habroun and T. Sunoun) five Greenhouses were selected from each village, a special information card was prepared for each greenhouse which included the area of the greenhouse, the type of fertilizers used in it, and the source of water used to irrigate the house, the water was tested by a device known as Colorimeter, another device called Spectrophotometer was used to test the amount of Nitrates and Nitrites found in Cucumbers, the results show that the highest amount of Nitrates was in the samples taken from Riyaf 615.29 mg/kg, and the lowest amount in the samples from T.Sunoun 126.15 mg/kg, The Nitrites were at their highest also in Riyaf at 0.06 mg/kg and at their lowest in the samples of B, Shoufan at 0.023 mg/kg, the results also show variation in the Probability value (P=0.000) in the Cucumbers samples. When comparing the amounts reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) it was found that the amounts of Nitrates and Nitrites ranged between 100% in Riyaf, A. Zibdi and Madhli, followed by 90% in B.Shoufan, and 80% in Habroun and Dkaiki,and 60% in Arzona, Zahid, and Shas ,and 30% in T. Sunoun. The percentage of contamination in all the Greenhouses reached only 76%whole. the concentration of the Nitrites was within the standard level less than 1%mg/kg.

The effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria and organic manure on solubilization of phosphate rock and cotton productivity

A field experiment was carried out during 2003 and 2004 in Edleb governorate to study the effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium) and cows manure on solubilization of phosphate rock, cotton productivity, and phosphate uptake. The amounts of phosphate rock and superphosphate were added by the same amount of P2O5. An amount of nitrogen fertilizer as urea, was added to treatment 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 , whereas treatment 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 received amounts of organic fertilizer having the same amount of N added to treatment 1-6 (MAAR recommendation).