Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Vegetables Cultivated in the Subarnarekha River Basin of Ranchi City

Abstract

Heavy metal (HM) contamination in agroecosystems and edible crops is a worldwide issue. It is becoming an emerging threat to globalfood security. There is a huge pressure on the entire world to fulfill the increasing demand for food to nourish the burgeoning population.The periodical monitoring to assess the HM contamination in the agricultural land and the edible crops may help in tracking the HMstatus, thereby minimizing the risk of HM toxicity. The objective of the present study was to check the physicochemical propertiesof the river water used for irrigation purposes and soil for the cultivation of edible crops along with the presence of different heavymetals (HMs) viz., copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe) in the Subarnarekha river water, soil and vegetables viz.,coriander (Coriandrum sativum), cabbage (Brassica oleracea), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), brinjal (Solanum melongena), chili (Capsicumannuum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The results obtained from the analysis of physicochemical characteristics of water foundthe temperature in the range of 19.33 to 22.45oC, pH 5.83 to 7.43, EC 197.33 to 485.138 mho/cm with iron as the highest available heavymetal with a concentration of 1.909 mgl-1 and cadmium was found in the least concentration (0.011 mgl-1). The findings of differentsoil properties revealed that the soil is good for the cultivation of crops but the presence of some heavy metals like Cd and Pb in theedible parts of the vegetables especially at the sites Namkum, Sembo and Kumba Toli indicates the need for periodical evaluation ofsoil to assess their levels. HM accumulation in the edible parts of the vegetables was found below the permissible limits prescribed byFAO and WHO except at a few sites.