scholarly journals Health risk assessment and heavy metal bioaccumulation in vegetables irrigated with waste water in Kano State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 10890
Author(s):  
M. A. HABU ◽  
Usman BAWA ◽  
Saheed I. MUSA

Intake of vegetables grown in heavy metals contaminated soils is one of the most common food chain routes for exposure of human. For this purpose, this research aimed at evaluating the concentration of heavy metals (cadmium-Cd, lead-Pb and zinc-Zn) in vegetables such as spinach (S), lettuce (L), and onion (O), irrigated with two different wastewater sources in Kano State Nigeria. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric analysis (AAS) was used in this research to determine the metal levels. Zn (0.17-0.12 mg/l) was detected in the wastewater, as well as in the irrigated soil (8.36-33.64 mg/kg), while Cd and Pb were not detected in both the wastewater and irrigated soils. Furthermore, between (1.50-27.05 mg/kg) of Zn was detected in the assayed vegetables (S, L and O). However, there was no significant difference (p<0.05) between the Zn content of the two wastewater sites.  Lactuca sativa was observed to have the highest Zn concentration (27.5 mg/kg) in site A, while Spinacia oleracea had the lowest Zn concentration (1.5 mg/kg). Zn levels in all the samples analysed in this study were below the permissible limit of 100 mg/kg in vegetables, 50 mg/kg in soil and 5mg/l in wastewater set by FAO/WHO. However, Pb and Cd were not detected in all the samples. Bioaccumulation factor was found ranging from 0.32-41.17 mg/kg and the pollution index ranged from (0.46-1.80 µg g-1). This indicated potential health risk from Zn in people who are consuming these vegetables for long period of time due to biomagnification. This research suggested that frequent test should be carried out to monitor the accumulation and, farmers should be sensitized on the importance of treating irrigation water before agricultural usage.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Nanven D Nimyel ◽  
Elizabeth S. Chundusu

When the mining process is not properly controlled, it can be a source of heavy metals pollution in the environment. The uptake of these heavy metals in edible parts of vegetables can be a direct source of the metals into the human food chain. This study assessed the concentrations of lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) in soil and vegetables obtained from nine (9) farms around mining sites in Mangu LGA. Concentrations of heavy metals in soil and vegetables were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results revealed the concentrations of the heavy metals at the farms to be within the recommended maximum levels of world soils but were higher than their respective controls. This implies that the artisanal mining contributed to the increased values of these heavy metals in the environment. Also, the mean concentrations of the heavy metals at Mangu Halle mining site decreased in the order Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd whereas at Alogwom it decreased in the order Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > Cd. The enrichment factor (EF) of the elements showed deficiency to minimum enrichment for all the heavy metals whereas the pollution index (PI) of the metals indicated very slight contamination to moderate pollution. The results of the heavy metals in the vegetables showed that the bioaccumulation of the metals followed a pattern: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Cd > Ni. Levels of Cd, Pb and Ni in the vegetables were observed to be higher than the recommended limit for vegetables whereas Cu, Cr and Zn exhibited lower values than recommended standards. Thus, their consumption might pose health risk to consumers and therefore there is the need for proper monitoring of the illegal mining activities to reduce health risk and the extent of heavy metals contamination.


2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-164
Author(s):  
M Begum ◽  
MN Gani ◽  
MD Alam

Heavy metal pollution of soils is a major concern today because contamination of food chain considered as one of the major environmental pathways of human exposure leading to potential health risk.A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the transfer of Zn, Cu, Ni, Fe, Cd, Cr, Pb and Mn from non-contaminated and contaminated soils to jute leaves vegetable plant and to evaluate their associated health risk in the local population.The mean concentration of the heavy metals in jute leaves vegetable plants followed a decreasing order of Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd>Ni. Among the all heavy metals the highest transfer factor (TF) values was found for Cu (77.50-34.95) and the lowest TF value was observed for Ni(0-0.001) in jute leaves vegetables plant. The daily intake of metals (DIM) for a person through ingestion of jute leaves were in order of Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>Cr>Pb>Ni>Cd. The values of health risk index (HRI) for the heavy metals were less than 1, therefore, no significant health risk is anticipated for the local consumers through ingestion of jute leaves. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res.56(3), 155-164, 2021


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-110
Author(s):  
U. Bawa ◽  
A. Ahmad ◽  
J.N. Ahmad ◽  
A.G. Ezra

Intensive use of agrochemicals has led to build of heavy metals in the soil ecosystem and their transfer to edible parts of crops. This study was aimed to determine the heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn) concentrations in some twenty commonly used pesticides in northern Nigeria, and health risk associated from the consumption of food crops fumigated with these pesticides as the only source of metal contamination. Heavy metals content in pesticides, food crops and soils were analyzed after acid digestion using atomic absorption spectrometry. Traces of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn) were detected in most of the pesticides. The concentrations of heavy metals in crops fumigated with pesticides ranged from 0.33-4.68, 1.75-38.08, 0.67-16.83, 9.01-436.75, 0.17-20.80mg/kg for Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Cr in all the crops were above WHO, (2019) permissible limit. Heavy metals in soils of corresponding crops were below the permissible limits by UNEP, (2013) and NESREA, (2011). Bioaccumulation factor BAF showed high BAF>1 for Cu and Pb in all the studied crops,while pollution index value revealed contamination for Cd and Pb in all the studied crops. Hazard quotient showed potential health risk from the consumption of only Capsicumannuum for Pb. However, consumers may experience advance health risk through the consumption of Oryza sativa, Zea mays, Solanumlycopersicum, Capsicumfrustescens for all metals (Hazard index). Hence, there is the need for screening of heavy metals in pesticides and monitoring of metals contents in food crops.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1213
Author(s):  
Muhammad Faisal ◽  
Zening Wu ◽  
Huiliang Wang ◽  
Zafar Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Imran Azam

The goal of this research is to assess hazardous heavy metal levels in PM2.5 fractioned road dust in order to quantify the risk of inhalation and potential health effects. To accomplish this, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) was used to determine concentrations of eight heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, As, Pb, and Hg) in the PM2.5 portion of road dust samples from five different land use areas (commercial, residential, industrial, parks, and educational) in Zhengzhou, China. The following were the average heavy metal concentrations in the city: Cr 46.26 mg/kg, Cu 25.13 mg/kg, Ni 12.51 mg/kg, Zn 152.35 mg/kg, Cd 0.56 mg/kg, As 11.53 mg/kg, Pb 52.15 mg/kg, and Hg 0.32 mg/kg. Two pollution indicators, the Pollution Index (PI) and the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), were used to determine the degree of contamination. Both PI and Igeo indicated the extreme pollution of Hg and Cd, while PI also ranked Zn in the extreme polluted range. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) model for adults and children was used to estimate health risks by inhalation. The results identified non-carcinogenic exposure of children to lead (HI > 0.1) in commercial and industrial areas. Both children and adults in Zhengzhou’s commercial, residential, and park areas are exposed to higher levels of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn).


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Abakpa Adegbe ◽  
Oluwaseyi Oluwabukola Babajide ◽  
Lois Riyo Maina ◽  
Shola Elijah Adeniji

Abstract Background Heavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health. Increasing environmental pollution has necessitated the use of cattle egrets to evaluate the levels of heavy metal contamination, to establish their use in biomonitoring of heavy metals and to provide data for monitoring pollution in the environment. Results The present study assessed the utilization of Bubulcus ibis in monitoring pollution in five abattoirs, namely Agege, Bariga, Kara, Itire and Idi-Araba, all situated in Lagos State. The concentration of five (5) heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was determined in the liver, muscle and feather of Bubulcus ibis using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The trend of metal accumulation was in the order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni for all the sampled tissues. The mean tissue concentrations of the metals were significantly different (p < 0.05) among the sites. The highest levels of metal concentration were reported in the liver in all the locations. Mean concentration of Cd in Kara (0.003 ± 0.00058) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those found at Agege (0.0013 ± 0.00058) and Idi-Araba (0.001 ± 0.001). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was also observed between the mean concentrations of Cu in Bariga (0.01 ± 0.001) and Idi-Araba (0.003 ± 0.001). Conclusion All the studied heavy metals were present in the liver, muscle and feathers of the cattle egrets. The contamination levels were ascertained from the study which indicated that cattle egrets are useful in biomonitoring studies and the generated data will serve as baseline data which could be compared with data from other locations for monitoring heavy metal pollution.


PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11853
Author(s):  
Xingyong Zhang ◽  
Qixin Wu ◽  
Shilin Gao ◽  
Zhuhong Wang ◽  
Shouyang He

Heavy metals are released into the water system through various natural processes and anthropogenic activities, thus indirectly or directly endangering human health. The distribution, source, water quality and health risk assessment of dissolved heavy metals (V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Mo, Sb) in major rivers in Wuhan were analyzed by correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR). The results showed that the spatial variability of heavy metal contents was pronounced. PCA and CA results indicated that natural sources controlled Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Mo, and industrial emissions were the dominant factor for V, Zn and Sb, while As was mainly from the mixed input of urban and agricultural activities. According to the heavy metal pollution index (HPI, ranging from 23.74 to 184.0) analysis, it should be noted that As and Sb contribute most of the HPI values. The health risk assessment using HI and CR showed that V and Sb might have a potential non-carcinogenic risk and As might have a potential carcinogenic risk to adults and children in the study area (CR value exceeded target risk 10−4). At the same time, it was worth noting that As might have a potential non-carcinogenic risk for children around QLR (HI value exceeded the threshold value 1). The secular variation of As and Sb should be monitor in high-risk areas. The results of this study can provide important data for improving water resources management efficiency and heavy metal pollution prevention in Wuhan.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document