Dataset of metals and metalloids in food crops and soils sampled across the mining region of Moquegua in Peru

In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in the accumulation of heavy metals and metal(loid)s (HMM) in areas where agriculture and mining exist side by side. As a contribution to this body of knowledge, we report the first dataset into HMM concentrations in food crops and agricultural soils in Moquegua, which is a typical mining region and contains one of Peru's largest copper deposits. Thanks to its geographic diversity, samples were taken in different agroecological regions at altitudes between 9 and 3,934 m. For food crops, 31 elements were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. For soils, 23 elements were measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Thus, the dataset includes a total of 13,828 observations from 341 sampling sites. We hope that this dataset will facilitate a wide range of agricultural and food safety studies, as well as serving as a reference for monitoring changes in pollution over time or comparing HMM levels with other farmlands influenced by mining activities.

Automated summary

This study presents the first dataset on the accumulation of heavy metals and metal(loid)s in food crops and agricultural soils in a typical mining region in Peru. The dataset includes samples from diverse geographical regions and altitudes. It can be used for agricultural and food safety studies, as well as for monitoring pollution changes and comparing with other mining-influenced farmlands.