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Accumulation of heavy metals and bacteriological contaminations in carrots and okra irrigated with tertiary wastewater
Author(s) -
Letshwenyo Moatlhodi Wise
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
environmental quality management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.249
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6483
pISSN - 1088-1913
DOI - 10.1002/tqem.21733
Subject(s) - bioaccumulation , daucus carota , chromium , arsenic , chemistry , abelmoschus , effluent , wastewater , zinc , horticulture , irrigation , cadmium , fecal coliform , environmental chemistry , biology , agronomy , environmental science , environmental engineering , water quality , ecology , organic chemistry
The present study investigates the accumulation of heavy metals (mg L −1 ) and bacteriological contaminations (log 10 coliform forming units (CFU) 100 mL −1 ) in Daucus carota subsp. Sativus (carrot) and Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) irrigated with tertiary effluent. Chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) concentrations in the leaves of carrots were higher than the concentrations in the roots. Arsenic (As), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and zin (Zn) had higher concentrations in the roots than in leaves. Arsenic, chromium, lead, and zinc bioaccumulation factors in the roots were 6.4 ± 1.20, 1.8 ± 0.25, 1.23 ± 0.07, and 2.16 ± 0.76, respectively. The highest bioaccumulation factors were 1.03 ± 0.05 and 2.38 ± 1.40 for chromium and zinc, respectively, in the okra fruit. The health risk indices in adults and children were 1.4E−01 and 2.0E−01, respectively, for consuming carrots and 5.2E−02 and 7.9E−02, respectively, for okra consumption by adults and children. Average log 10 counts of the bacteriological contaminations in irrigation water were 1.3, 1.6, and 1.4 log 10 CFU 100 mL −1 for E. coli , total coliforms, and fecal coliforms, respectively. The corresponding counts in the edible inner carrot flesh were 0.78 log 10 , 0.95, and 0 log 10 CFU 100 m L −1 , respectively. Monitoring of both irrigation water and vegetables should be conducted regularly.