Risk analysis by bioaccumulation of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd from wastewater-irrigated soil to Brassica species

Abstract

In order to evaluate the possible human health risk by phyto-accumulation of five heavy metals, viz. Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb and Ni, four Brassica species, namely B. campestris, B. juncea, B. napus and B. nigra, were grown under field conditions irrigated with 100% (undiluted) and 50% (diluted) wastewater (WW). The groundwater treatment was taken as control. WW irrigations (50% and 100%) were found to increase growth parameters (length, fresh biomass and dry biomass of shoot and root) and seed yield of all Brassica species. Calculated metal indices showed tolerance ability (tolerance index, TolI > 1) of all four Brassica species growing in both 50% and 100% WW-irrigated soil, but none of these could act as hyperaccumulator (bioconcentration factor, BCF 1), representing the human health at serious risk.