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Analysis of soil characteristics of different land uses and metal bioaccumulation in wheat grown around rivers: possible human health risk assessment

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Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the physico-chemical properties and heavy metal contents in soils under three land uses (agricultural, riverbank and roadside) from areas situated around rivers (Beas and Sutlej) in Punjab, India. Heavy metal contents in wheat samples (grain and fodder) growing in the area were also analyzed in order to find out potential human health risk through wheat consumption. The studied soils under the three land uses were found to be basic in nature with sandy texture, low soil organic matter and other soil nutrients. Comparatively higher amounts of soil nutrients were observed in soils under agricultural land use as compared to riverbank and roadside land uses. The amounts of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Co and Pb) analyzed in soils were lower than the various national and international maximum permissible limits, but heavy metal contents observed in wheat fodder samples exceeded the maximum permissible limits for fodder. The soil-to-plant metal bioaccumulation factor was found to be highest for Cu (3.812 for soil–wheat grain and 1.874 for soil–wheat fodder), which showed the bioaccumulation of heavy metals from soils to crops, and the wheat straw-to-grain translocation factor was found to be highest for Co (4.375). The hazard index calculated to assess non-carcinogenic health risks was found above 1 for children, meaning that the wheat grains can pose health risks to children.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge University Grants Commission (UGC) for financial support under University with Potential for Excellence (UPE) program to Sandip Singh Bhatti and Head, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, for laboratory facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India

    Sandip Singh Bhatti & Avinash Kaur Nagpal

  2. Department of Human Genetics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India

    Vasudha Sambyal

  3. Department of Zoology, Khalsa College, Amritsar, Amritsar, Punjab, India

    Jaswinder Singh

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  1. Sandip Singh Bhatti
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  3. Jaswinder Singh
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Correspondence to Avinash Kaur Nagpal.

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Bhatti, S.S., Sambyal, V., Singh, J. et al. Analysis of soil characteristics of different land uses and metal bioaccumulation in wheat grown around rivers: possible human health risk assessment. Environ Dev Sustain 19, 571–588 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-015-9746-7

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