Affiliations: Chemistry Department, College of Education for Pure Science/Ibn Al-Haitham, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| Directorate general of education in Baghdad (Karkh 3), Baghdad, Iraq
| Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Abstract: In the absence of environmental regulation, food stays to be contaminated with heavy metals, which is becoming a big worry for human health. The present research focusses on the environmental and health effects of irrigating a number of crops grown in the soils surrounding the Al-Rustamia old plant using treated wastewater generated by the plant. The physicochemical properties, alkalinity, and electrical conductivity of the samples were evaluated, and vegetable samples were tested for Cd, Pb, Ni, and Zn, levels, and even the transfer factor (TF) from soils to crops and crop and multi-targeted risk, daily intake (DIM) of metals, and health risk index (HRI) was calculated. The findings found that the average contents of Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cd in soil and vegetation were less than the Food and Agriculture Organization’s standards of food safety enhancers. The flooded soil included Zn (56.5), Pb (15.1), Ni (9.30), and Cd (0.850) mg·kg-1. The heavy-metal concentration trend in all samples was Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cd. Daily metal intake in crops species was above acceptable limits for Zinc (0.011 – 0.019 mg·kg-1), Lead (2.010-5 – 5.910-5 mg·kg-1), Ni (2.410-4 – 5.210-4 mg·kg-1) and Cd (1.310-5 – 3.310-5 mgkg-1). The HRI for zinc varied between 0.037 and 0.063, for lead between 5.10-3 and 1.410-2, for nickel from 1.210-2 to 2.610-2, and for cadmium from 1.310-2 to 3.310-2. The HRI for such components was larger than one, suggesting that no possible health issue existed. Crop cultivation using wastewater is a typical solution for water-stressed nations; nevertheless, previous screening and processing of such industrial wastewaters is required to minimise its detrimental effects on the environment.
Keywords: Vegetables, toxic metals, health risk index
