Heavy Metals and Major Nutrients Accumulation Pattern in Spinach Grown in Farm and Industrial Contaminated Soils and Health Risk Assessment

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to study heavy metals and major nutrients accumulation pattern and to assess possible health risk for adult male and female human through consumption of spinach grown in farm and industrial contaminated soils. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb in aqueous extracts of leaves and roots were determined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The present study revealed that spinach grown in both soils accumulated higher amount of Cr, which could pose potential health concern to the local residents. On the contrary, it could be a good source of S, Ca and Mg for adult male and female human. Accumulation of heavy metals and major nutrients in leaves of spinach was in the sequence of Fe > Zn > Cr > Mn > Cu > Pb and K > S > Ca > Mg > P, respectively for industrial contaminated soil, while the order was Fe > Mn > Cr > Zn > Cu > Pb and S > K > Ca > Mg ≥ P, respectively for farm soil. The sequence of Zn, Mn, Ca, K and S accumulation in spinach was leaf > root. But in case of Fe, Cr and P the order of accumulation pattern was reverse. Among the metals, the calculated THQ value for Cr surpassed 1, and the values for male were 2.85 and 6.86 and for female were 4.47 and 10.75 due to consumption of spinach grown in farm and industrial contaminated soils, respectively. The study results inferred that Cr health risk through consumption of spinach is unsafe in industrial contaminated sites; and in both places female is more vulnerable than male.