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Metal speciation in soil and health risk due to vegetables consumption in Bangladesh

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Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the contamination level of heavy metals in soil and vegetables, chemical speciation, and their transfer to the edible part of vegetables. Metals were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ranges of Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb in agricultural soils were 3.7–41, 3.9–36, 3.7–46, 2.3–26, 0.6–13, and 4.5–32 mg/kg, respectively. The metals were predominantly associated with the residual fractions of 39, 41, 40, 40, 34, and 41 % for Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb, respectively. Considering the metal transfer from soil to the edible part of vegetables, the mean transfer factors (TFs) were in the descending order of Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > As > Cd. In the edible tissues of vegetables, the concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb in most vegetable samples exceeded the maximum permissible levels, indicating not safe for human consumption. Total target hazard quotient (THQ) of the studied metals (except Cr) from all vegetables were higher than 1, indicated that if people consume these types of vegetables in their diet, they might pose risk to these metals. Total values of carcinogenic risk (CR) were 3.2 for As and 0.15 for Pb which were higher than the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) threshold level (0.000001), indicating that the inhabitants consuming these vegetables are exposed to As and Pb with a lifetime cancer risk.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the authority of Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), Bangladesh and Yokohama National University, Japan, for providing laboratory facilities. The authors are also delighted to express their gratefulness and sincerest thanks to Professor Dr. Md. Shams-Ud-Din (Vice Chancellor, PSTU), for his valuable suggestions and cooperation to carry out this research. Furthermore, we are thankful for the kind help from the members of the Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), Bangladesh, during the field sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty and Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan

    Md. Saiful Islam & Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun

  2. Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh

    Md. Saiful Islam

  3. Department of Oceanography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Md. Kawser Ahmed

  4. Department of Fisheries, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun

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  1. Md. Saiful Islam
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Correspondence to Md. Saiful Islam.

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Islam, M.S., Ahmed, M.K. & Habibullah-Al-Mamun, M. Metal speciation in soil and health risk due to vegetables consumption in Bangladesh. Environ Monit Assess 187, 288 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4533-3

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