Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal and Metalloid Contamination in Industrial Wastewater Irrigated Areas Using Sugar Beet (Brassica oleracea L.)

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UĞULU İ., Bibi S., Khan Z. I., Ahmad K., Munir M., Malik I. S., ...More

Sustainability (Switzerland), vol.15, no.12, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 15 Issue: 12
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.3390/su15129694
  • Journal Name: Sustainability (Switzerland)
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, CAB Abstracts, Communication Abstracts, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Geobase, INSPEC, Metadex, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Keywords: biomonitoring, health risk, trace metal, vegetable
  • Uşak University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In Pakistan, wastewater such as industrial and urban wastewater is widely used for agricultural irrigation despite its chemical and pollutant content. In this respect, it is important to determine the risks of heavy metal accumulation in various agricultural products and the risks to human health. The aims of this study were to assess the heavy metal(loid)s contamination in soil and sugar beet samples and to assess the health risks of heavy metal(loid)s to the population via the consumption of sugar beet. The heavy metal(loid) values in the wastewater-irrigated soil samples ranged from 0.260 to 4.053 mg/kg, and wastewater-irrigated sugar beet samples ranged from 0.051 to 1.666 mg/kg. In contrast to Cd, Ni, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr and Zn, which appeared to pose a health risk, Pb, Co, and Cr had Health Risk Index (HRI) values lower than 1.0 and did not appear to pose a threat to human health. Cd accumulation with HRI values over 1 (144.8) indicated that this metal is likely to have a major negative impact on local health.