POSSIBLE HEAVY METAL (PB, MN, & CU) ACCUMULATION IN FRESH WATER AND WASTE WATER IRRIGATED VEGETABLES.
Malla Sudhakar*, Ramya Kumari B. S., Kiran H. K., Basavaraj M. B., Gowthami K., Savitha M. V., Purushotham R.
ABSTRACT
Anthropogenic water is mostly used for the irrigation of crops either directly or in the form of treated water, mainly in the urban and periurban ecosystem, due to the ease in availability, and scarcity of fresh water. Such type of Irrigation with wastewater is going to influence the accumulation of harmful substances within the living organisms. Heavy metals are non-biodegradable in nature, they have prolonged biological half-lives and moreover they have the potential to accumulate in different body parts. The present study was carried out to estimate the levels of different heavy metals like Lead, manganese and copper, in vegetables (Spinach & Potato) irrigated with water from different sources. The results clearly showed a significant build-up of heavy metals in vegetables irrigated with wastewater when compared with the fresh water. Wastewater-irrigated spinach has shown significantly (p < 0.05) higher accumulation of Lead, manganese and copper compared to the freshwater-irrigated spinach, indicating the highest metal absorption. The same results were observed in the potato also. On the other hand the organic cultivars showed relatively less accumulation when compared to fresh water irrigated and waste water irrigated. However, the regular monitoring of loads of these harmful metals from effluents and sewage, in vegetables need to be carefully monitored for preventing them to accumulate in the food chain.
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