Risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s via Spinacia oleracea ingestion after sewage water irrigation practices in Vehari
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ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN HEALTH
Risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s via Spinacia oleracea ingestion after sewage water irrigation practices in Vehari District Aneeza Sardar 1 & Muhammad Shahid 1 & Natasha 1 & Sana Khalid 1 & Hasnain Anwar 1 & Muhammad Tahir 1 & Ghulam Mustafa Shah 1 & Muhammad Mubeen 1 Received: 25 February 2020 / Accepted: 26 June 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The use of sewage water as an irrigation source can be beneficial in agricultural practices, however, it may result in human health risks due to the consumption of heavy metal(loid)–contaminated food. This study evaluated the suitability of using sewage water (SW), freshwater (FW), and groundwater (GW) for vegetable irrigation in District Vehari. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) plants were grown in pots irrigated with FW, GW, and SW in different proportions and combinations. The results indicated the substantial lesser buildup of heavy metal(loid)s (As (− 0.8%), Cd (− 38%), Cr (− 6.2%), Cu (− 20%), Fe (− 9.2%), Mn (− 13%), Ni (− 16%), Pb (− 19%), and Zn (−15%)) in soil after S. oleracea cultivation compared to unirrigated soil possibly due to high metal(loid) uptake by S. oleracea. Irrigation with all types of waters resulted in metal(loid) accumulation in S. oleracea predominantly in roots. The combinations of FW, GW, and SW resulted in high metal(loid) accumulation (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the edible S. oleracea leaves than their alone application. Owing to high metal(loid) buildup, plants showed a linear trend in physiological imbalance in terms of reduced pigment content, induction of peroxidation, and oxidation of lipids. The severe oxidative stress was observed in S. oleracea plants under FW and GW irrigation due to high metal(loid) accumulation. The risk indices showed possible carcinogenic risk (CR > 0.0001) and non-carcinogenic risk (HI > 1) from the consumption of metal(loid)-contaminated S. oleracea leaves. Results revealed unsuitability of all waters and their combinations for S. oleracea irrigation. Moreover, this study does not encourage the use of mixed water for vegetable irrigation in Vehari District. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to monitor the quality of irrigation waters to ensure food safety and prevent chronic health risks to the exposed population. Keywords Sewage water irrigation . Heavy metal(loid)s . Spinacia oleracea . Oxidative stress . Physiological imbalance . Health risk
Introduction Food safety is a matter of great concern for public health. Increasing demand for food safety has diverted researchers’ attention to evaluate the food-borne diseases and health risks associated with ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs. Heavy metal(loid)s are non-biodegradable and can magnify in the Responsible editor: Gangrong Shi Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09917-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Muhammad Sh
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