Specialists of the Public Health Center (CSP) found vegetables and fruits containing an amount of nitrates over the allowed limit. Excessive nitrates were found in local and imported melons, in squashes, beetroot, potatoes, cucumbers, onion, eggplants and bananas, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to CSP Chisinau, 502 samples have been collected to investigate the pollution level in fruits and vegetables, 188 from import and 314 local. 6.3% of the samples contained an excessive amount of nitrates. One of the 8 samples of local melons contained 105 mg/kg of nitrates, while the allowed limit is 90 mg/kg. Six of eleven samples of imported melons contained 3 to 4.2 times the allowed amount of nitrates. The highest concentration was found in melons from Ukraine and Netherlands. The samples of water melons, both local and imported, showed no excess of nitrates. In all the cases, the administration of markets and commercial units were notified in order to prevent the selling of polluted products. The CSP specialists urge the people not to buy fruits and vegetables from unauthorized places, like on the roadsides, where the provenience and quality of these goods cannot be verified.