Investigation of Heavy metal status in soil and vegetables grown in urban area of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

The present study was carried out to assess levels of different heavy metals like Iron, Cadmium, Nickel, Lead, Copper and Zinc in vegetables irrigated with water from different sources industrial area of Naini Allahabad. The order of heavy metal concentration was found in Fe > Zn > Cd > Pb > Ni > Cu in irrigated water and Fe > Ni > Zn > Cu > Cd > Pb was observed in industrial contaminated sites of soils. Metal levels observed in these sources were compared with WHO. The concentrations (mg/L) of heavy metals in irrigated water ranged from 0.249 to 0.257 for Fe, 0.049 to 0.056 for Zn, 0.028 to 0.036 for Cd, 0.015 to 0.019 for Cu, 0.035 to 0.042 for Pb and 0.031 to 0.038 for Ni which is lower than recommended maximum tolerable levels proposed by joint FAO/WHO Expert committee on food additives (2007), with the exception of Cd and Fe which exhibited elevated content. Uptake and translocation factor of heavy metal from soil to Edible parts of vegetables were quite distinguished for almost all elements examined. Although the practice of growing leafy vegetables using wastewater for irrigation is aimed at producing socio-economic benefits but study reveals that heavy metal-contaminated vegetables grown in wastewater-irrigated areas may pose Public health hazards which is not safe and may not be sustainable in the long-term.