Accumulation of cadmium, mercury and lead by vegetables following long-term land application of wastewater

Abstract

Several vegetable species which are part of the daily diet of Tehran's population were examined for potential uptake of cadmium, mercury and lead from soil following longterm land application of wastewater. The three study sites located in the south of Tehran have been receiving untreated domestic wastewater by flood irrigation for many years. Elevated levels of cadmium, mercury and lead were found in the upper layers of soil. Examined vegetables accumulated some cadmium, mercury and lead from treated soils, but accumulation was relatively low. Due to the low concentration of these metals and their poor absorption from the gastrointestinal tract (excluding absorption of lead in children), it does not appear that the short-term consumption of these contaminated vegetables would produce acute toxicity. However, since absorption of dietary lead in children is relatively high and children are very sensitive to lead toxicity, short-term consumption of these vegetables plus other environmental sources of these metals in Tehran may produce chronic effects in children.