Geochemical and environmental investigation of sewage-irrigated soils and crops of Sabzevar, NE of Iran

Abstract

The present study identifies the effects of sewage irrigation on the surface soils geochemistry and the concentration of heavy metals in plants of Sabzevar area, which were irrigated for a long time by wastewater. This study shows that the sewage irrigation has led to decreasing pH and increasing organic matter, and also it makes the accumulation of P 2 O 5 , high-field-strength elements (Ga, Ta, Th, U and Y) and heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn) in contaminated soils. Likewise, the concentration of rare-earth elements (REE) in contaminated soils is more than background samples with moderate enrichment of light REE compared with high REE in REE pattern diagram (mean La N /Lu N = 5.77). The calculated transfer factor and enrichment factor indexes in plants grown on the polluted soils are significantly higher than the control samples which show the heavy metal enrichment in the contaminated samples. Although the cultivated crops on this area (maize, beet, alfalfa, barely) are used only for animal feed, the heavy metal analysis indicated that the concentration of Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in these plants, especially alfalfa and maize, is more than the maximum permitted levels defined in different standards.

Heavy metal content of selected readily available commercial medicinal plants in Jos Plateau and their potential human health risk

“…With the exception of Ni and Pb in Annona senegalensis, Magnifera indica, and Psidium guajava, concentrations of these heavy metals were several folds above their corresponding WHO maximum permissible limit in medicinal plants. This observation is in agreement with the previous studies that reported elevated total heavy metal concentrations above WHO maximum permissible limits in medicinal plants [53,54]. Among these heavy metals, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb are considered out-rightly toxic metals and ranked among the priority metals that are of public health significance because they do not have any known biochemical and physiological functions and are known to induce multiple organ damage, even at very low levels of exposure [55][56][57][58].…”

Accumulation of heavy metals and bacteriological indicators in spinach irrigated with further treated secondary wastewater

“…The order in the pumpkin was Zn > Cu > Ni > Co > Cd > Pb indicating that metals accumulate differently in some plants. Mazhari et al (2019) conducted a study on the geochemical and environmental investigation of soils and crops and reported concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb exceeding maximum permissible levels in alfalfa and maize crops. Some of the studies have investigated the human health risks associated with vegetables grown on soil irrigated with treated wastewater (Gupta et al, 2008).…”

Determination of Toxic Metals Burden and Related Risk Factors in Pregnant Women: A Biological Monitoring in Sabzevar, Iran

“…The risks of As and Pb in the Indian rice and the Cd in Iranian rice are signi cantly higher than other types. Contamination of the consumed rice can increase the concentration of toxic metals in the maternal blood(Shara et al 2019).A study in Sabzevar disclosed that the concentration of toxic metals in agricultural products irrigated by e uent wastewater was higher than the maximum permitted level(Mazhari et al 2019). These toxic metals can enter the food chain through bioconcentration and bio-magni cation phenomena(Martí-Cid et al 2008).…”