Contamination of soil and water with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a global environmental concern that could pose potential risks to human health and agriculture. The major anthropogenic sources of PTEs contamination include coal combustion processes, leather tanning operations, mining, smelting activities, and use of sewage water for irrigation. Scattered studies are available in the literature that determines the sources, bioavailability, and potential hazards due to PTEs contamination to crop plants and, ultimately, to human beings. This article reviews how solid‐ and solution‐phase chemistry of soil and existing plant species influence the bioavailability of PTEs to cereal and legume plants, along with the mechanisms involved in the uptake and accumulation. This article also describes the phytotoxic effects of PTEs and strategies to overcome these toxic effects by identifying highly tolerant cereals and legumes. Moreover, this article also summarizes recent advances in the field application and discusses perspectives to reduce PTEs accumulation in cereal and legume crops.
This work investigated the human health risk effects of heavy metal contamination at Galena mining area. 10 elements were identified in both irrigated and wet season edible crops and fish were collected from five sampling locations at Galena mining area. Wet season crops held higher concentrations of heavy metals than irrigated crops. Study showed carcinogenic heavy metals Pb (1.42 E +08), Cd (1.36 E +14), Cr (1.31E-07), As (3.92 E-06), Co (9.42E + 12), Cd (1.36 E +14) while non-carcinogenic heavy metals exposure showed assessment of health risk which indicated three major exposure pathways for people: ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation for non-carcinogenic while carcinogenic metals were exposure through ingestion and inhalation only. HI and HQ levels are < 1 indicating health risks of heavy metals in crops and fish, while carcinogenic Pb showed higher HI through ingestion by children and adults exposure. In this study, the routes of heavy metals exposure especially Pb as the major constituent element of galena was greater than 1.0 indicating higher health risks hence adequate diagnosis should be upheld in the area.
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