Toxicity and bioassimilation of lead and nickel in farm ruminants fed on diversified forage crops grown on contaminated soil.

The cultivation of forage crops on wastewater-irrigated soils, while common in many developing countries, poses significant risks due to heavy metal pollution, particularly Lead (Pb) and Nickel (Ni). This practice, aimed at addressing water scarcity challenges and providing affordable irrigation, was investigated for its ecological and human health implications across three diverse sites (site A, site B, and site C). Our study unveiled increases in Pb concentrations in contaminated soil, cultivated with Sesbania bispinosa showing the highest Pb accumulation. The Ni concentrations ranged from 5.34 to 10.43 across all forage crop samples, with S. fruticosa from site C displaying the highest Ni concentration and S. bicolor from site A exhibiting the lowest. Trace element concentrations in the specimens were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The Pb levels in the blood, hair, and feces of farm ruminants (cows, buffaloes, and sheep) varied across the sites, with buffaloes consistently displaying the highest Pb levels. Insights into daily Pb intake by ruminant's highlighted variations influenced by plant species, animal types, and sites, with site C, the cows exhibiting the highest Health Risk Index (HRI) associated with lead exposure from consuming forage crops. Soil and forage samples showed Pb concentrations ranging from 8.003 to 12.29 mg/kg and 6.69-10.52 mg/kg, respectively, emphasizing the severe health risks associated with continuous sewage usage. Variations in Ni concentrations across animal blood, hair, and feces samples underscored the importance of monitoring Ni exposure in livestock, with sheep at site B consistently showing the highest Ni levels. These findings highlight the necessity of vigilance in monitoring trace element (Pb and Ni) exposure in forage crops and livestock, to mitigate potential health risks associated with their consumption, with variations dependent on species, site, and trace element concentrations.

Bioaccumulation and Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals in Citrus Limetta & Citrus Sinensis Irrigated by Wastewater.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different irrigation sources on the levels of potentially toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Fe and Mn) in the edibles of citrus fruits (Citrus sinensis and Citrus limetta). The samples of fruit, soil and water were collected from two locations (fresh water irrigated-FW I and sewage water irrigated-SW II) within the city of Sargodha. The samples utilized in the study for metal analysis were prepared utilizing the wet acid digestion method. Metal determination was performed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). The potentially toxic metal values in the citrus samples ranged from 0.010 to 0.063, 0.015 to 0.293, 6.691 to 11.342 and 0.366 to 0.667 mg/kg for Cd, Cr, Fe and Mn, respectively. Analysis of Citrus limetta and Citrus sinensis indicated that the highest concentration of Cr, Fe and Mn is observed at the sewage water irrigation site (SW-II), whilst the minimum levels of Cr, Fe and Mn were observed at the fresh water irrigation site (FW-I). The results show that the levels of these metals in soil and fruit samples meet the acceptable guidelines outlined by USEPA and WHO. It was found that the metal pollution constitutes a potential threat to human health due to the HRI values for Cd, Cr, and Fe being above 1, despite the DIM values being below 1. Regular monitoring of vegetables irrigated with wastewater is highly recommended in order to minimise health risks to individuals.

Accumulation and translocation of lead in vegetables through intensive use of organic manure and mineral fertilizers with wastewater.

In many countries with wastewater irrigation and intensive use of fertilizers (minerals and organics), heavy metal deposition by crops is regarded as a major environmental concern. A study was conducted to determine the impact of mineral fertilizers, cow manure, poultry manure, leaf litter, and sugarcane bagasse on soil's trace Pb content and edible parts of vegetables. It also evaluated the risk of lead (Pb) contamination in water, soil, and food crops. Six vegetables (Daucus carota, Brassica oleracea, Pisum sativum, Solanum tuberosum, Raphanus sativus, and Spinacia oleracea) were grown in the field under twelve treatments with different nutrient and water inputs. The lead concentrations in soil, vegetables for all treatments and water samples ranged from 1.038-10.478, 0.09346-9.0639 mg/kg and 0.036-0.26448 mg/L, The concentration of lead in soil treated with wastewater in treatment (T6) and vegetable samples was significantly higher, exceeding the WHO's permitted limit. Mineral and organic fertilizers combined with wastewater treatment reduced lead (Pb) concentrations in vegetables compared to wastewater application without organic fertilizers. Health risk indexes for all treatments except wastewater treatment (T6) were less than one. Pb concentrations in mineral fertilizers, cow manure, poultry manure, leaf litter, and sugarcane bagasse treated were determined to pose no possible risk to consumers.

Evaluation of the Effects of Wastewater Irrigation on Heavy Metal Accumulation in Vegetables and Human Health in the Cauliflower Example : Heavy Metal Accumulation in Cauliflower.

The goals of the present research were to determine the heavy metal contents in the water-soil-cauliflower samples in industrial wastewater irrigated areas and to assess the health risks of these metals to the people. Metal analyses were carried out using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with a graphite furnace. The metal readings in the cauliflower specimens ranged from 1.153 to 1.389, 0.037 to 0.095, 0.61 to 0.892, 0.625 to 0.921, 1.165 to 2.399, 0.561 to 0.652, 0.565 to 0.585, 0.159 to 0.218 and 1.268 to 1.816 mg/kg for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn, respectively. Statistics revealed that, with the exception of Pb and Co (p > 0.05), there was no statistically significant variation in the metal concentrations in the cauliflower samples according to the irrigation type. Pb, Ni, and Cr had HRI values below 1.0 and did not seem to be a hazard to human health, in contrast to Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn, which glanced to constitute a health risk. Regular monitoring of vegetables irrigated with wastewater is strongly advised to reduce health hazards to people.

Synthesis of biodegradable sodium alginate-based carbon dot-nanomagnetic composite (SA-FOCD) for enhanced water remediation using ANN modelling, RSM optimization, and economic analysis.

This study involves the synthesis of a magnetic­sodium alginate bio-composite embedded with carbon dots, designed to eliminate pollutants like dyes and metal ions and tackle environmental issues. The modified particles are effectively incorporated into the biopolymers for improved adsorption and regeneration performance using an economically viable and environmentally sustainable process. The composite's surface morphology and chemical structure have been extensively characterized through various analytical techniques. It has been found that CD-modified nanoparticles demonstrate good dispersion, abundance in functional groups, and excellent adsorption performance. The adsorption process variables have been optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), resulting in a maximum adsorption capacity of 232.44 mg/g achieved under optimal conditions. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model with a topology of 3-5-5-1 is constructed to predict the adsorption capacity of composite, exhibiting superior predictive performance. The statistical physical model was also performed to understand the adsorption mechanism and orientation of dye molecules attached to the surface of the composite. The adsorption capacity using statistical physical method was found to be 467.57 mg/g. The composite exhibits good adsorption and regeneration performance in the column adsorption study. Furthermore, a detailed cost analysis of the synthesized composite was performed, ensuring its economic viability in real-world applications.

Cobalt Uptake by Food Plants and Accumulation in Municipal Solid Waste Materials Compost-amended Soil: Public Health Implications.

One of the most pressing environmental issues is how to properly dispose of municipal solid waste (MSW), which represents both a substantial source of concern and a challenge. The current study evaluated cobalt (Co) accumulation in MSW, their uptake by different vegetables grown for two years, and related human health risks. Vegetables were grown in four different groups, such as one control (ground soil), and the remaining treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3) received varying concentrations of MSW. The analysis of Co was done through an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Results revealed that the concentration of Co was higher in all the vegetables (n = 15) grown in soil supplemented with 75% MSW during 2nd growing year. Among all vegetables, the highest concentration of Co was observed in Solanum tuberosum at T3 during 2nd growing year. The pollution load index (PLI) value for vegetables during both growing years was more than 1 except in control soil. The findings indicated that the highest enrichment factor (EF) and hazard resilience index (HRI) value of 0.09 was present in S. tuberosum. Health index values for cobalt in the study were below 1. The HRI < 1 indicated that consumers do not face any immediate health risks. The investigation of Co concentrations in blood samples obtained from individuals residing in different areas contributes a human health perspective to the research. The findings indicate that the concentration of Co rises with an increasing proportion of MSW. While the metal levels in MSW-treated soil were not high enough to classify the soil as polluted, the results recommend that recycling MSW can substitute mineral fertilizers. Nevertheless, the presence of cobalt in MSW may directly affect soil fertility and could impact crop production and human health.