Ahmad, K; Nawaz, K; Khan, ZI; Nadeem, M; Wajid, K; Ashfaq, A; Munir, B; Memoona, H; Sana, M; Shaheen, F; Kokab, R; Ur Rehman, S; Ullah, MF; Mehmood, N; Muqadas, H; Aslam, Z; Shezadi, M; Noorka, IR; Basir, H; Shad, HA; Batool, F; Iqbal, S; Munir, M; Sohail, M; Sher, M; Ullah, S; Ugulu, I; Dogan, Y
Wastewater irrigation causes possible contamination of soil and crops and is responsible for health hazards to consumers. Current research was undertaken to observe the extent of contamination in wheat irrigated with wastewater and its possible consequences on humans. A pot experiment was performed in this regard to assess the concentration of metals in soil, water and grain samples. The level of heavy metals (mg kg-1) in wheat grains ranged from 1.18 to 1.64 for Cd, 0.07 to 0.20 for Pb, 0.74 to 1.28 for Cu, 0.44 to 0.60 for Cr, and 0.02 to 0.22 for Co. The values of all heavy metals were within the permissible limit of 0.3 mg kg-1 for Pb, 73.3 mg kg-1 for Cu, 2.3 mg kg-1 for Cr, and 50 mg kg-1 for Co, while the Cd content in wheat surpassed the tolerable limit of 0.2 mg kg-1 indicating its mobility. A significant and positive correlation was obtained for Cd, Pb Cu, and Co (0.90, 0.85, 0.79, 0.89; p<0.01) while Cr showed non-significant correlation (0.52; p>0.05) between soil and wheat grains. The values of health risk index for all heavy metals were below 1 except for Cd. Regular monitoring of wheat crop is suggested in light of these findings to minimize the health risks in humans.
Wastewater irrigation; Wheat; Grain; Irrigation; Health hazards; Copper; Cadmium; Metal concentrations; Soil water; Contamination; Wastewater; Sediment pollution; Cereal crops; Soil pollution; Soil contamination; Lead; Soils; Agricultural pollution; Chromium; Lead (metal); Heavy metals; Wastewater pollution; Crops; Grains; Health risks; (Feb 2018)