Distribution of Chemical Species in the Water-Soil-Plant (Carya illinoiensis) System near a Mineralization Area in Chihuahua, Mexico—Health Risk Implications

Abstract

The aim of this study was to quantify major and trace elements in the water, soil, and plants (Carya illionensis) in an agricultural area; and to determine the health risks associated with the walnuts ingestion by calculating the risk quotient. Samples of water, soil, tree leaves, and walnuts were collected; in total, 135 samples were analyzed. Physicochemical parameters were obtained in irrigation water and soil samples. Elemental measurements were performed in an ICP, -OES and -MS. In addition, the distribution coefficient (soil–water), transfer factor (soil–plant), and hazard quotient were evaluated. In the irrigation water, As, Cr, and Pb, showed concentrations above the maximum allowable limits. Likewise, high concentrations of As, Cr, Pb, and Sb were found in tree leave samples, indicating a possible tendency of hyperaccumulation of those elements. Furthermore, Cr concentrations in walnuts were high by far than the reference value (FAO/WHO). A possible competition between chemical congeners were detected from transfer factors. Although, Sb concentrations in walnuts were also high, and no legislation for it in fruits exists. The hazard risk quotient for Sb did indicate a potential health risk. Finally, it is important to consider that the health risk increases when exposure through consumption takes place over a prolonged period of time, even in low concentrations.

Dynamics of Major and Trace Elements in Water–Soil–Tree Interaction: Translocation in Pyrus malus in Chihuahua, Mexico Using ICP-OES and Its Health Risk Implications

“…The harvest at Las Bebas w Trace elements, such as As, Cd, Cr, Sb, Se, and Pb, are highly toxic to the environment. Moreover, the irrigation of agricultural soils with water with high concentrations of TEs does not only result in the transfer of those elements from the water to the soil, but also increases the bioavailability of these analytes for trees and plants [11].…”

“…The trace elements (TEs) contamination in irrigation water and agricultural soils has drawn worldwide attention for its health implications by consumption of the food produced under these conditions [6][7][8][9][10] because these elements have the following characteristics: they are non-biodegradable, harmful to living organisms, carcinogenic, and also, they have accumulative and lasting capabilities. The arrangement of trace elements in the environment is conditioned by their local mineralization interactions and the weather-specific conditions of each site [11]. The use of fertilizers and pesticides, industrial emissions, and transportation resulted in a significant increase in the heavy metal content of the agricultural soil.…”

Health Risk of Zinc Pollutant in Agricultural Soil in Some Leaves of Selected Leafy Vegetables in Kirkuk, North Iraq

“…The most important paths that human exposure to health risk from diet are transfer of heavy metals from soil to plant tissue (Jolly et al, 2013), and this transfer of the element from soil to plant is measured by transfer factor (TF), where it is an indicator for assessing the movement of heavy metal, and its value varies depending on the environment and type of plant (Cervantes-Trejo et al, 2018). TF is used to assess the potential ability of the plant to transfer the elements from soil to the plant edible tissues (Proshad et al, 2019).…”

Essential role of multi-element data in interpreting elevated element concentrations in areas impacted by both natural and anthropogenic influences

“…Although the transfer factor (TF) can be calculated for each metal of interest, its variation can be significant and dependent not only on the plant species but also among different plant parts such as root, bulb, and leaf. Furthermore, the accumulation and distribution of metals and metalloids in plants are highly influenced by numerous factors, such as their content in the surrounding soil and air, bioavailability, pH, cation exchange capacity, climatic conditions, growing season, and others ( Mirecki et al, 2015 ; Ogoko, 2015 ; Akande & Ajayi, 2017 ; Cervantes-Trejo et al, 2018 ).…”