Unraveling the effects of cadmium on growth, physiology and associated health risks of leafy vegetables

Abstract

Vegetables are a common and important source of food and nutrition but the increasing concentration of cadmium (Cd) in the food chain via wastewater-soil-vegetable continuum is posing a threat to their growth as well as human life. This study aimed at determining the effects of variation in duration of plant exposure to different dosages of Cd on growth, physiology and potential health risks of three commonly grown leafy vegetables, viz. spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.). The experiment was a 5 × 3 factorial containing five doses (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg Cd kg −1 soil) and three (25, 50 and 75 day) durations of plant exposure. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. It was found that plant height, root length, leaf area and biomass were significantly affected by increasing Cd concentration up to 40 mg kg −1 for all the vegetables. Furthermore, Cd treatments significantly affected the photosynthetic and biochemical attributes such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and total chlorophylls at various growth stages of vegetables tested in comparison with their respective controls. Accumulation of Cd in all the leafy vegetables, its daily intake via vegetable consumption and health risk index were significantly increased with the increase in Cd concentration. The highest values of these parameters were found at 40 mg Cd kg −1 soil. It could be concluded that duration of exposure and Cd dose were very important in determining Cd toxicity, which are reflected in drastic reduction in vegetable growth and physiology. Moreover, the consumption of such vegetables would have toxic effects on human health.

Facile Synthesis of NiO–CuO/Activated Carbon Nanocomposites for Use in the Removal of Lead and Cadmium Ions from Water

“…The accumulation of lethal heavy metals in our bodies has serious health consequences, including growth and developmental abnormalities, mental illnesses, and metabolic failure . The toxicity of cadmium [Cd­(II)] is a significant issue in some countries. − Heavy Cd­(II) ions are environmentally toxic heavy-metal ions that harm all biological functions in plants, animals, and humans, so it was ranked seventh by the agency for toxic substances and disease registry. , As a result, it mimics various elements, causing disruption and alteration at various levels of the ecosystem . Lead [Pb­(II)] has the potential to harm the human/animal nervous system, kidneys, liver, brain functions, and reproductive system, and it also leads to some other toxic symptoms such as headache, muscle weakness, anemia, insomnia, dizziness, irritability, and hallucination .…”

Restoration and Preservation of Degraded Soils for Crop Production

“…Phytoextraction, in which plants take trace elements from the soil and deposit them in leaves and shoots, and phytostabilization, where plant roots absorb the trace elements from the soil, are the two most common ways of phytoremediation. Polluted soil may be cleaned using effective phytoextraction at lower prices than other facilities or at the expense of inactivity, as long as it meets environmental legislation's requirements ( Latif et al 2020;Hussain et al 2021a;Gavrilescu 2022).…”

A Review on Adsorption of Heavy Metals from Wood-Industrial Wastewater by Oil Palm Waste

“…Apart from human and animals, plants were also commonly affected by heavy metal pollution (Abazi et al, 2018). Irrigation is the main sources of heavy metal intake by plants; whereby, 27% of national and international vegetables or plants are being irrigated with wastewater, which includes sewage and industrial effluents (Latif et al, 2020). A pilot study from Hatamian (2020) determines the interaction of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) on growth and leaf morphophysiological characteristics of European hackberry (Celtis australis) seedlings.…”