Assessing the impact of wastewater irrigation on cobalt cadmium and lead contents of grains of Sorghum bicolor

Abstract

The impact of waste irrigation on the concentrations of the metals Cd, Co and Ni contents in grains of Sorghum bicolor was investigated through analyzing (for three seasons 2008-2010s) four different-irrigation sorghum grains samples grown on four different-irrigation soil areas according to the experimental design. Two original soils: Soil, historically and experimentally, irrigated with Wastewater (SHEwastewater), and Soil, historically and experimentally, irrigated with wells water samples were analyzed in the 1st and 2nd seasons. According to the procedures used in the literature, Samples were collected, pretreated, preserved, digested according to the microwave assisted acids digestion procedures, and analyzed for metals by ICP-AES. Quality control was performed and %R(s) we have gotten were good for real samples analysis. Cd and Pb metal contents of the two types of the original soil samples were not significantly different. In addition, these metal contents of the two types of soil samples have not exceeded the upper EU standards. The average means (of 1st and 2nd seasons) levels of Cd and Pb of wastewater were higher than that of wells water. In addition, the average means of these metal ions of both wastewater and wells water was lower than Yemeni standard for irrigation water. Sorghum grains analysis results, for at least two of the three seasons, indicated that: wastewater irrigation resulted in an increase in Cd and Pb contents of grains of Sorghum bicolor. Moreover, there is no significant difference between the effect of wastewater and wells water irrigation on Co content of grains of Sorghum bicolor.