Appraisal of the health hazards associated with the ingestion of vegetables contaminated with potentially toxic elements

The health risk to the population from consuming vegetables contaminated with potentially toxic elements is a matter of great concern. Therefore, contamination of potentially toxic elements in the vegetables and associated health risks from their consumption were quantified in the current study. For this purpose, wastewater, soil, and vegetable samples were collected from the suburban areas of Sargodha. The outcomes perceived that the contents of potentially toxic elements in wastewater ranged from 0.43 to 1.10, 0.13 to 0.28, and 0.96 to 3.04 mg L⁻¹ for Pb, Ni, and Zn, respectively. The highest averaged contents of Pb (15.5 mg Kg⁻¹), Ni (8.60 mg Kg⁻¹), and Zn (59.1 mg Kg⁻¹) were observed in spinach, while lower contents of potentially toxic elements were recorded in tomato. The order of vegetables regarding potentially toxic elements contents was spinach > cabbage > coriander > onion > tomato. Moreover, it was found that consuming contaminated vegetables may pose a potential health risk to the population. Based on the findings, it is concluded that regular monitoring of wastewater-irrigated vegetables is necessary. Moreover, to mitigate health risks associated with contaminated vegetables, it is essential to avoid using untreated irrigation water. Instead, proper treatment of wastewater should be adopted before employing it in agricultural practices.

Graphical Abstract