BIO-ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN SOME NORTH INDIAN LEAFY VEGETABLES AND QUANTIFICATION OF CONSUMER HEALTH RISK DUE TO THEIR DIETARY INTAKE

In this study bio-accumulated levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in seven most popular North Indianleafy vegetables, spinach (Spanacia oleracea), bathua (Chenopodium album), chaulayi (Amranthspinosus), mustard (Brassica nigra), rayi (Brassica juncea), radish leaves (Raphanus sativus) andfenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) collected from local venders were evaluated. The dailyintakes of metals (DIM) through consumption of these leafy vegetables were computed for testedmetals to quantify consumer health risk index (HRI). For the purpose of comparison, vegetablescultivated under ideal conditions in a walled garden were also tested for studied metals. The orderand accumulated levels of metals in leafy vegetables varied as: Pb (2.16-3.16) > Cr (1.54-2.84) > Cu(0.39- 0.94) > Ni (0.38-0.78) > Cd (0.33-0.51). However, the accumulated levels of tested metals invegetables cultivated in the walled garden were much lower and varied as: Pb (1.11-1.46) > Cr (0.66-1.22) > Cu (0.21- 0.42) > Ni (0.22-0.33) > Cd (0.19- 0.29). The order of computed consumers health riskindex (HRI) due to tested metals on dietary intake of studied vegetables collected from localvenders varied as: Pb (229.5 – 335.7) > Cd (140.2 – 216.7) > Ni (8.74- 14.73) > Cu (4.49- 10.82) > Cr(0.473- 0.872).