Hosein Aalidadi; Zahra Karimi; Aliakbar Dehghan; Hamed Mohammadi; Maryam Paydar
Abstract
Background and Purpose : Heavy metals are among the most critical contaminants in drinking water, owing to their stability and accumulation capability in living tissues and the food chain. Consequently, this study was conducted to determine the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment indices ...
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Background and Purpose : Heavy metals are among the most critical contaminants in drinking water, owing to their stability and accumulation capability in living tissues and the food chain. Consequently, this study was conducted to determine the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment indices for heavy metals in the water sources of Torbat-e Jam City in 2023.Materials and Methods : Samples were collected from 16 groundwater sources and the surrounding soil of Torbat-e Jam City during the summer and autumn of 2023. Concentrations of five heavy metals - arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, and copper - were measured using a Varian atomic absorption spectrometer. Finally, the health risk levels for three different groups were calculated using indices provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States.Results: The average concentrations of heavy metals in water during summer were as follows: arsenic: 0.0027 ± 0.0035 mg/L, mercury: 0.00019 ± 0.00035 mg/L, lead: 0.0011 ± 0.0023 mg/L, cadmium: 0.0002 ± 0.0002 mg/L, and copper: 0.0046 ± 0.0078 mg/L. In autumn, the concentrations were arsenic: 0.0082 ± 0.0081 mg/L, mercury: 0.0018 ± 0.0008 mg/L, lead: 0.0056 ± 0.0058 mg/L, cadmium: 0.00084 ± 0.00083 mg/L, and copper: 0.0091 ± 0.0068 mg/L. In soil, the concentrations were arsenic: 0.011 ± 0.053 mg/L, mercury: 0.0086 ± 0.0068 mg/L, lead: 0.131 ± 0.186 mg/L, cadmium: 0.0002 ± 0.00047 mg/L, and copper: 0.12 ± 0.24 mg/L. The study found the non-carcinogenic risk levels of the examined heavy metals to be low. However, the carcinogenic risk level for arsenic was very high in both seasons, for cadmium was moderate in autumn, and for the other elements, it was within the standard limits.Conclusion : Given the high carcinogenic risk of arsenic for women, men, and children in both summer and autumn, continuous monitoring of arsenic levels should be a priority for regulatory agencies.
Ghasem Ranjbar; Ali Asghar Najafpoor; Ali Akbar Dehghan
Abstract
Background and Objective: The main and most important way for heavy metals to enter human body is eating food. Given that vegetables are among main food sources. For this purpose, in this study heavy metals concentrations (lead, cadmium, Arsenic and mercury) in water and wastewater used, soil and vegetables ...
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Background and Objective: The main and most important way for heavy metals to enter human body is eating food. Given that vegetables are among main food sources. For this purpose, in this study heavy metals concentrations (lead, cadmium, Arsenic and mercury) in water and wastewater used, soil and vegetables of Kashafrood margin River farms are investigated. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 54 samples of three vegetable types and 18 water and wastewater samples and 18 soil samples were taken from three farms (one control and two case farms) in two consecutive months. The case farms were selected in Kashafrood River vicinity, where flow treatment plants municipal sewage and wastewater in Mashhad city. After preparation, samples acid digestion action was performed according to standard methods (3030 F Standard Method for water and vegetables – 3050 B EPA for soil). Atomic absorption device (spectrometry) was used to determine the concentration of heavy metals in samples and SPSS and Excel software were used to analyze the data. Finally, the information obtained was compared with national and international standards. Results: The mean concentrations of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury) in water, soil and vegetable samples were different and varied in time and place. Among the selected vegetables, dill samples, among farms, farm 2 and among months June illustrated most polluted one, and of the heavy metals in the samples, lead had highest concentrations. Conclusion: Heavy metal concentrations in soil and water samples were within national and international standard range, while concentrations of these metals in some vegetable samples exceeded national and international levels, which may be due to other factors, however, the use of standard effluent for agricultural irrigation requires control measures and the performance of relevant machinery duties. Keywords: Vegetables, Kashafrood, Heavy Metals