PJB-2024-501
Adverse effects of iron accumulation in vegetables cultivated with excessive application of organic and inorganic fertilizers along with various water sources
Mehwish Amjad
Abstract
Irrigation with sewage water can offer benefits such as enhanced crop productivity, but it also carries significant drawbacks that affect crops, soil quality, and human health. Given its diverse composition of toxins, including chemicals and heavy metals, sewage water can adversely impact both soil fertility and crop health. With this in mind, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the possible health hazards linked with iron (Fe) accumulation in leaf and roots of vegetables,irrigated with waste water, canal water and the fertilizers (organic and inorganic) . for this purpose samples of soil, water and edible components of food crops were randomly collected from different treatments (T0-T11). The concentration of iron (Fe) in the representatives was determined with the help of flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS), employing the wet digestion method for sample preparation. The level of iron (Fe) ranged from 0.4672 mg/L to 1.083 mg/L in water, 5.702 to 46.633 mg/kg in soil, and 192.57-58.49 mg/kg in crop samples. These estimated concentrations were found to be within the allowable limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, various indices including the bio-concentration factor (BCF), enrichment factor (EF), daily intake of metals (DIM), and health risk index (HRI) were all found to be below 1, except pollution load index (PLI) which exceeds the WHO limit indicating the soil contamination. This suggests that the levels of Fe in the vegetables has no significant health risks to humans. Despite this, there were no indications of Fe toxicity in the crops, nor were there identified health risks or carcinogenic risks associated with the consumption of these food crops by humans. To mitigate the risk of excessive accretion of iron (Fe) in the food chain, monitoring on regular basis is indispensable.
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