INTRODUCTION: a large area between the provinces of Naples and Caserta in the Campania Region (Southern Italy) is characterized by environmental problems caused by the illegal dumping of industrial or domestic waste in fields or by roadsides. In some cases, these wastes have been burned, thereby spreading persistent contaminants. As this material is sometimes burnt, the area has been dubbed Terra dei fuochi (Land of fires). OBJECTIVES: search for trace elements in fruits and vegetables grown in this area. DESIGN AND SETTING: monitoring plan to detect the level of presence of both inorganic and bio-essential metals in vegetables and fruits growth in the considered area. The content of trace elements was determined through Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) after a microwave-assisted digestion procedure. RESULTS: during the monitoring activity, 65 vegetable samples and 49 fruit samples were collected in 43 municipalities included in the area called Terra dei fuochi. The resulted average content of toxic metals, cadmium, and lead in fruits and vegetables was lower than the minimum level established by European legislation. The values of the contents were significantly lower than the contents detected in other areas at high environmental impact caused by the presence of industrial plants. CONCLUSIONS: the presence of toxic (or potentially toxic) elements in fruits and vegetables grown in the Terra dei fuochi area is attributable to a variety of environmental factors (geological characteristics; soil, air, and irrigation water pollution; illicit practices of industrial waste disposal). A health risk for consumers of these products does not seem to exist. Therefore, the alert for the presence of pollutants in the environment and the need of monitoring activities still remain.