摘要：Dietary exposure of toxic metals is of vital concern for human health through vegetable consumption, especially in developing countries. Aim of the current study was to determine the health risk associated with vegetables contamination by heavy metals being irrigated with sewage and turbine water. The water sources, soils and vegetables were analyzed for selected metals viz: Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni. Heavy metals in water samples are found to be lower than the international norms except Cd in sewage water. By contrast, concentration of heavy metals in soil and vegetables irrigated with turbine water were lower than the safe limits. In case of vegetables irrigated with sewage water, Cd was higher in soil while Pb, Cd and Cr were higher in most of the vegetables. Furthermore, health risk index values for Cd, Pb and Ni were exceeded the permissible limits (European Union, 2002). Bio-concentration factor (BCF) was found to be maximum (16.4 mg/kg) in Coriandrum sativum, cultivated with sewage water. Raphanus caudatus, Coriandrum sativum, Daucus carota, Allium sativum and Solanum tuberosum showed Health Risk Index of Cd > 1 in adults and children. Allium sativum also showed HRI of Pb > 1 in children. We conclude that the quality of vegetables irrigated with sewage water is poor and not fit for human health, evident from the high concentration of Pb, Cd and Cr. Urgent measures are required to prevent consumption and production vegetables irrigated with of sewage water in the study area.
