Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, N.W.F.P 25120, Pakistan.
J Hazard Mater. 2010 Jul 15;179(1-3):612-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.03.047. Epub 2010 Mar 17.
Food crops irrigated with wastewater are mostly contaminated with heavy metals and considered as a main pathway for human exposure. In this study, soil and food crops samples were collected from wastewater irrigated soils, background and relatively less polluted areas. Results of the sequential extraction and total metals concentrations in soils indicated that wastewater irrigation has significantly increased (p > or = 0.001) the bioavailable and total metal contents in wastewater irrigated soil as compared to background and control soils. Heavy metal concentrations in the food crops grown on wastewater irrigated soil were higher than those grown on background and control soils but were found within WHO/FAO permissible limits except for Zn. Health risk index values were less than 1 for both control and wastewater irrigated soils (except Mn). However, the food crops such as Brassica rapa, Spinacia oleracae L., Lycopersicum esculantum, Mentha viridis, Coriandum sativum and Lactuca sativa grown on wastewater irrigated soil can pose health risks because of the high concentration of Mn.
受污水灌溉的粮食作物大多受到重金属污染，被认为是人类暴露的主要途径之一。在这项研究中，从污水灌溉土壤、背景和污染较轻的地区采集了土壤和粮食作物样本。土壤中连续提取和重金属总量的结果表明，与背景和对照土壤相比，污水灌溉显著增加了（p>0.001）污水灌溉土壤中生物可利用和重金属总量。在污水灌溉土壤上种植的粮食作物中的重金属浓度高于在背景和对照土壤上种植的重金属浓度，但除 Zn 外，均在世界卫生组织/粮农组织允许的限度内。对于对照和污水灌溉土壤（除 Mn 外），健康风险指数值均小于 1。然而，在污水灌溉土壤上种植的蔬菜，如白菜、菠菜、番茄、薄荷、芫荽和生菜，由于 Mn 浓度较高，可能会对健康造成风险。
