Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals Through the Consumption of Vegetables in the National Capital Region, India

This study aimed to evaluate the heavy metal contamination in the vegetables growing in the national capital region of India and to assess the health risk in human resulting from consumption of these vegetables. A total of 99 vegetable samples were collected from the selected study area during the winter season and were analyzed for heavy metals contamination by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The relative abundance of heavy metal in the vegetable samples was in the following order: Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd > Co. The mean concentration of Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, in the vegetables was 158.01 mg kg− 1dw − 1, 0.23 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, 0.04 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, 3.70 mg kg− 1 dw− 1 7.82 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, 297.87 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, 39.81 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, 1.78 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, 0.52 mg kg− 1 dw− 1, and 32.21 mg kg− 1 dw− 1 for respectively. The statistical analysis supported the formation of two primary clusters Al-Fe-Pb and Cu-Zn, indicating their common source of origin. Most of the vegetable samples exceeded the permissible limit of heavy metals prescribed by the Food and agricultural organization/ World health organization (FAO/WHO) standards. The total target hazard quotient was greater than 1 for all types of vegetables, indicating appreciable health risk due to the consumption of these vegetables in the study area.