TY - JOUR
T1 - Uptake of heavy metals by some edible vegetables irrigated using wastewater
T2 - a preliminary study in Accra, Ghana
AU - Ackah, Michael
AU - Anim, Alfred Kwablah
AU - Gyamfi, Eva Tabuaa
AU - Zakaria, Nafisatu
AU - Hanson, John
AU - Tulasi, Delali
AU - Enti-Brown, Sheriff
AU - Saah-Nyarko, Esther
AU - Bentil, Nash Owusu
AU - Osei, Juliet
PY - 2014/1
Y1 - 2014/1
N2 - The heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co, and Cd) burden in wastewater, soil, and vegetable samples from a wastewater irrigated farm located at KorleBu, Accra has been investigated. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion using a combination of HNO3, HCl, and H 2O2 (for water), and HNO3 and HCl (for soil and vegetables). The mean concentrations (in milligrams per kilogram) of heavy metals in the soil samples were in the order of Fe (171 ± 5.22) > Zn (36.06 ± 4.54) > Pb (33.35 ± 35.62) > Ni (6.31 ± 8.15) > Cr (3.40 ± 3.63) > Co (1.36 ± 0.31) > Cd (0.43 ± 0.24), while the vegetables were in the order of Fe (183.11 ± 161.2) > Zn (5.38 ± 3.50) > Ni (3.52 ± 1.27) > Pb (2.49 ± 1.81) > Cr (1.46 ± 0.51) > Co (0.66 ± 0.25) > Cd (0.36 ± 0.15). The bioconcentration factors suggest environmental monitoring for the heavy metals as follows: Cd (0.828), Cr (0.431), Ni (0.558), Co (0.485), and Fe (1.067). Estimated daily intakes were very low for both children and adults except Fe (0.767 mg/kg/day) in children. The population that consume vegetables from the study area were, however, estimated to be safe based on the results obtained from the health risk index, which were all < <1. The sodium absorption ratio according to FAO (1985) classifications indicate that the wastewater in the study area is unsuitable for irrigation purposes.
AB - The heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co, and Cd) burden in wastewater, soil, and vegetable samples from a wastewater irrigated farm located at KorleBu, Accra has been investigated. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion using a combination of HNO3, HCl, and H 2O2 (for water), and HNO3 and HCl (for soil and vegetables). The mean concentrations (in milligrams per kilogram) of heavy metals in the soil samples were in the order of Fe (171 ± 5.22) > Zn (36.06 ± 4.54) > Pb (33.35 ± 35.62) > Ni (6.31 ± 8.15) > Cr (3.40 ± 3.63) > Co (1.36 ± 0.31) > Cd (0.43 ± 0.24), while the vegetables were in the order of Fe (183.11 ± 161.2) > Zn (5.38 ± 3.50) > Ni (3.52 ± 1.27) > Pb (2.49 ± 1.81) > Cr (1.46 ± 0.51) > Co (0.66 ± 0.25) > Cd (0.36 ± 0.15). The bioconcentration factors suggest environmental monitoring for the heavy metals as follows: Cd (0.828), Cr (0.431), Ni (0.558), Co (0.485), and Fe (1.067). Estimated daily intakes were very low for both children and adults except Fe (0.767 mg/kg/day) in children. The population that consume vegetables from the study area were, however, estimated to be safe based on the results obtained from the health risk index, which were all < <1. The sodium absorption ratio according to FAO (1985) classifications indicate that the wastewater in the study area is unsuitable for irrigation purposes.
KW - bioconcentration factor
KW - health risk index
KW - irrigation
KW - monitoring
KW - vegetables
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84891312146&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10661-013-3403-0
DO - 10.1007/s10661-013-3403-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 24114276
AN - SCOPUS:84891312146
SN - 0167-6369
VL - 186
SP - 621
EP - 634
JO - Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
JF - Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
IS - 1
ER -