ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION AND ASSOCIATED HUMAN HEALTH RISKS VIA VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION IN JACOBABAD, SINDH, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study addresses the significant global concern regarding health risks from consuming heavy metal-contaminated vegetables. We utilized ICP-OES to quantify the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Sn, Co, Ni, Cd, Cr, Pb, and As in frequently consumed vegetables from District Jacobabad and subsequently estimated the associated human health risks. The maximum permissible limits (MPL) established by the FAO/WHO for these metals in vegetables were utilized for comparison. Fe, Zn and Cu were found below MPL in all vegetable samples, whereas no limit was suggested for Mn, Sn and Co. the level of Cd was exceeded in capsicum (0.19 mg/kg), tomato (0.09 mg/kg), brinjal (0.09 mg/kg), cauliflower (0.15 mg/kg), green chilli (0.19 mg/kg), fennel (0.21 mg/kg) and cluster beans (0.12 mg/kg). Samples in which Cr was higher than MPL were bitter gourd and methi, with concentrations of 2.57 mg/kg and 2.42 mg/kg, respectively. Spinach, lotus, mustard and green chilli showed higher concentrations of 0.16 mg/kg, 0.139 mg/kg, 0.133 mg/kg and 0.122 mg/kg, respectively. The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) was calculated for all metals in each vegetable. Non-carcinogenic risk was evaluated using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), with results aggregated into the Hazard Index (HI). The values for most samples were greater than 1, with the highest value of 5.6 observed in the tomato sample (Tm). The carcinogenic risk was quantified through the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR), specifically for As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb. The range of total cancer risk (ΣILCR) was found to be 1.036×10⁻³ to 1.157×10⁻², which surpassed the acceptable limit of 1×10⁻⁴, showing significant health risk to inhabitants of the area. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that strict regulatory control be implemented over the safety of vegetables grown in the study area.