Heavy Metals Assessment in Vegetables Irrigated with Wastewater: A Case Study in District Sargodha, Pakistan
Ameer Khan *
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Sadaf Javaid
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Maria Nawaz
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Farzana Shaheen
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Irfan Mustafa
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Iftikhar Ahmad
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
Humera Nawaz
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the heavy metals toxicity in vegetables irrigated with wastewater. Different experimental sites were selected from district Sargodha, Pakistan. Samples of wastewater, contaminated soil and vegetables irrigated with wastewater were collected and analyzed. Concentration of heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd), Copper, (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Zinc, (Zn) and Iron (Fe) were determined from soil, water and vegetables samples irrigated with wastewater and fresh water. Cadmium concentration was present from 0.1 to 0.3 μgg-1, chromium concentration from 0.03 to 0.11 μgg-1, Copper concentration from 0.2 to 0.7 μgg-1, iron concentration was present from 2.6 to 4 μgg-1 and Zinc concentration was present from 0.1 to 0.3 μgg-1 in vegetables irrigated with waste water. Heavy metals concentrations recorded in vegetables were within the safe limit except cadmium as recommended by WHO.
Keywords: Experimental sites, radish, spinach, contaminated soil, heavy metals, wastewater