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Evaluation of the Effects of Wastewater Irrigation on Heavy Metal Accumulation in Vegetables and Human Health in the Cauliflower Example

Heavy Metal Accumulation in Cauliflower

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Abstract

The goals of the present research were to determine the heavy metal contents in the water-soil-cauliflower samples in industrial wastewater irrigated areas and to assess the health risks of these metals to the people. Metal analyses were carried out using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with a graphite furnace. The metal readings in the cauliflower specimens ranged from 1.153 to 1.389, 0.037 to 0.095, 0.61 to 0.892, 0.625 to 0.921, 1.165 to 2.399, 0.561 to 0.652, 0.565 to 0.585, 0.159 to 0.218 and 1.268 to 1.816 mg/kg for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn, respectively. Statistics revealed that, with the exception of Pb and Co (p > 0.05), there was no statistically significant variation in the metal concentrations in the cauliflower samples according to the irrigation type. Pb, Ni, and Cr had HRI values below 1.0 and did not seem to be a hazard to human health, in contrast to Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn, which glanced to constitute a health risk. Regular monitoring of vegetables irrigated with wastewater is strongly advised to reduce health hazards to people.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Special Education Department, Usak University, Usak, Turkey

    Ilker Ugulu

  2. Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Zafar I. Khan, Shehnaz Bibi, Kafeel Ahmad, Mudasra Munir & Hafsa Memona

  3. Department of Zoology, Queen Mary College, Lahore, Pakistan

    Hafsa Memona

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  1. Ilker Ugulu
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  2. Zafar I. Khan
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  3. Shehnaz Bibi
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Correspondence to Ilker Ugulu.

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Ugulu, I., Khan, Z.I., Bibi, S. et al. Evaluation of the Effects of Wastewater Irrigation on Heavy Metal Accumulation in Vegetables and Human Health in the Cauliflower Example. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 112, 44 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-024-03858-1

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