Abstract
The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of reuse of wastewater in the peri-urban area of Udaipur city on the quality of soil, vegetable crops and groundwater in reference to heavy metal contamination. For this study four sites were selected for soil, water and vegetable sampling. Three samples each of soil, irrigation water and selected vegetable crops were collected. These samples were analysed for iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) with the help of an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) model EC 4141-8. The heavy metal accumulation in groundwater irrigated vegetables was found to increase with the increasing contamination of these metals in the groundwater at different locations. However, the metallic accumulation in all the selected vegetable crops (cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, spinach, tomato and radish) irrigated by groundwater at all the selected locations were found to be within the maximum permissible limits as prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO). In the case of wastewater irrigation, accumulation of Fe, Zn and Cd in spinach, tomato and radish crossed the maximum permissible limits at site 3 (Kanpur – Madri Villave). Urban wastewater irrigated spinach was found to have accumulated Fe, Zn and Cd to a great extent (more than the maximum permissible limits) at all three selected locations and is most unsafe for human consumption.
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