Dietary intake of pollutant aerosols via vegetables influenced by atmospheric deposition and wastewater irrigation.
Pot culture experiments were conducted to study dietary intake of heavy metals via vegetables, spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) grown under the influence of atmospheric deposition and wastewater irrigation. The results indicated substantial accumulation of heavy metals in vegetables, which contribute significantly to dietary intake of total heavy metals ranging from 1.34 to 110.40 μg g⁻¹ through leaves (spinach), 1.04 to 105.86 μg g⁻¹ through root (radish) and 0.608 to 82.19 μg g⁻¹ through fruits (tomato). Concentration of Cd, Ni and Pb in vegetables exceeded the safe limits of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954. Health risk index for Cd and Pb exceeded the safe limits set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The study indicated that the atmospheric depositions as well as wastewater irrigation have significantly elevated the levels of heavy metals in dietary vegetables presenting a significant threat for the health of users.
Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
Richa
R
Pandey
Kumar
K
Shubhashish
Jitendra
J
Pandey
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D057914:Agricultural Irrigation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006801:Humans; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D031224:Raphanus / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000737:chemistry; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D000336:Aerosols; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants