Abstract
AbstractMost popular vegetables and fruits and their corresponding soil from the sub-urban industrial area of Bangladesh were collected and the concentration of carcinogenic (Pb, As, and Cd) and non-carcinogenic (Fe, Co, V, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, and Ni) heavy metals was determined. Health risk was evaluated by estimating daily heavy metal intake and computing cancer and non-cancer risks (ILCR and THQ) using probabilistic risk assessment model of US-EPA. Heavy metals in vegetables varied with vegetable species as well as metal types. Higher daily intake of As, Fe, Mn, and Pb was observed from the consumption of root and leafy vegetables. Moreover, the probability of an adult for developing cancer from the consumption of studied vegetables was greater than US-EPA threshold risk limit (>10−4) for As and Cd. In addition, cumulative cancer risk (∑ILCR) of all the studied vegetables and fruits exceeded the limit for fruit, root, leafy vegetables, and fruits (22, 15, 59, and 4%) with As, Cd, and Pb as 17, 81, and 2%, ...
Highlights
Vegetables and fruits are the most important components of human diet and it is well known that consumption of these food items on a regular basis is one of the possible health-improving practices
Unsafe food consumption is a severe problem because of heavy metal contamination, which is caused by various anthropogenic activities (Cui et al, 2004)
Concentration of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic heavy metals in soil The average concentrations of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic heavy metals in the investigated agricultural soil of Gazipur industrial area are shown in Figures 2a and 2b
Summary
Vegetables and fruits are the most important components of human diet and it is well known that consumption of these food items on a regular basis is one of the possible health-improving practices. People all over the world have been concerned about the higher intake of fresh vegetables and fruits instead of red meat for good health as they significantly reduce the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetics, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other age-related diseases (Prakash, Upadhyay, Gupta, Pushpangadan, & Singh, 2012). Unsafe food consumption is a severe problem because of heavy metal contamination, which is caused by various anthropogenic activities (Cui et al, 2004). Agricultural foods are adulterated with pollutants, especially heavy metals by direct and indirect industrial activities, automobile exhaust, excess metal-based fertilization, and pesticide application. It has been reported that the dietary intake of lead, copper, and chromium through food is due to plant origin (fruits, vegetables, and cereals) and it is sometimes higher than permissible limits within urban areas (Yebpella et al, 2011)
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