Can leafy vegetables absorb heavy metals from contaminated soil?

What's actually in it

Leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, kale, and collard greens absorb minerals from the soil they grow in. If that soil contains heavy metals from pollution, industrial activity, or contaminated water, the plants pull those metals right into their leaves. Washing and cooking don't remove metals that are already inside the plant tissue.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Int J Environ Res Public Health measured heavy metal concentrations in edible leafy vegetables. The researchers found lead, cadmium, chromium, and other metals in many samples. Some vegetables had levels above the safe limits set by food safety agencies.

People who eat large amounts of leafy greens daily face the highest risk. Cadmium damages kidneys and bones over time. Lead harms the brain and nervous system. Children absorb a higher percentage of these metals from food than adults do.

Buy produce from trusted farms and wash greens thoroughly, even if you can't remove metals already inside the leaves. Rotating your greens (spinach one week, kale the next) spreads out your exposure across different sources.