Heavy metal uptake and stress in food crops: A Review

Abstract

Abstract. Heavy metal (HM) food contamination is detrimental to food safety and human health. Water scarcity, food shortage, illiteracy, failure to enforce environmental protection laws, and food quality regulations account for human HM contamination. Understanding their uptake pattern in food crops and how the crops behave under excessive concentration of these hazardous chemicals will guide farmers, researchers, and policymakers in devising appropriate control measures that will ensure the production and consumption of safer food crops. Relevant texts published by Science Direct, Springer Nature, and Wiley between January 2018 and December 2020 were cited in this article. The article discussed major factors affecting HM accumulation and the effects of HM stress on yield, physiology, and chemical properties of food crops. Wastewater irrigation, production in contaminated soil, and atmospheric deposit contributed to the contamination. Factors that influence HM uptake are those related to soil and irrigation water qualities and plant properties. The presence of other HMs and chemicals, growing season, crop age, planting method, and food crop type also affect HM uptake in food crops. HM stress affects anatomy, physiology including antioxidant defense mechanisms, nutrient availability and uptake, germination, seedlings development, growth, yield, leaf geometry, root and shoot length, plant genetics, pollination, and chemical composition including moisture content, soluble protein, and pigment content and characteristics.

Hydrogen Peroxide Mitigates Cu Stress in Wheat

“…Unlike organic contaminants, HM contaminants are efficiently transferred from the soil to plant organs [6][7][8][9][10]. Abiotic stresses-such as those due to sub-or supraoptimal temperature, or water deficit [11][12][13] adversely affect plant growth and grain yield, which ultimately have negative connotations for agri-food sustainability [7][8][9][14][15][16][17][18]. Ionic toxicity caused by HMs impairs functional processes, including the active sites of enzymes, polynucleotides, cellular structural proteins, and biological molecules essential for transportation of nutrients.…”

Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Activities and Histological Changes in African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Exposed to Carwash Wastewater

“…Water contamination from home and industrial waste is getting worse every day in many industrialized nations (Abdullahi et al, 2021). Washing your car to get rid of dirt and other contaminants require the use of large volume of water and applying chemicals, including ammonium compounds, surfactants, detergents, oil and grease, fuel, and other potentially harmful substances that end up in the water bodies (Zaneti et al 2012).…”