Human health risk assessment of heavy metals via consumption of contaminated vegetables collected from different irrigation sources in Lahore, Pakistan

Soil pollution with heavy metals due to discharge of untreated urban and industrial wastewater is a major threat to ecological integrity and human well-being. The presenting study aimed to determine human health risks associated via food chain contamination of heavy metals routing from irrigation of urban and industrial wastewater. Irrigated water, soil and vegetables were analyzed for Cr2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+; transfer factor (TF), daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) were also calculated. Cr2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ in vegetables cultivated by wastewater exceeded the permissible limits (European Union, 2002) while TF was lower for all metals except Co2+ and HRI was found to be maximum for Spinacia oleracea (2.42 mg/kg) and Brassica campestris (2.22 mg/kg) cultivated by wastewater. S. oleracea, B. campestris, Coriandrum sativum posed a severe health risk with respect to Cd and Mn.