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Bubalus bubalis Blood as Biological Tool to Track Impacts from Cobalt: Bioaccumulation and Health Risks Perspectives from a Water-Soil-Forage-Livestock Ecosystem

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Abstract

Cobalt (Co) bioaccumulation, contamination, and toxicity in the soil environment, plant growth, and cattles’ health are becoming a severe matter that can cause unembellished consequences in environmental safety and human health. The present research was conducted for the assurance of cobalt (Co) amassing in three forage plant species (Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Trifolium alaxandrium), from four ecological sites, and sewage water and in buffaloes blood was investigated. The analysis of variance showed significant differences for Co concentration in the soil and sewage water collected from all ecological sites. Meanwhile, summer and winter seasons and forage ecotypes significantly influenced the quantity of Co. The forage pastures also vary significantly in the concentration of Co in the above-ground parts. The highest Co level was present in Trifolium alaxandrium at ecological site-5. Cobalt taken from wastewater had a higher concentration in Trifolium alaxandrium during the winter. The samples which are collected from site-V and site-IV have the maximum concentration of Co because these areas receive highly contaminated water for irrigation. Cobalt tends to be bioaccumulated in the food chain and can cause serious problems in humans and animals. Bioaccumulation of cobalt in collected samples could be accredited to anthropogenic activities. Pollution load index values for all samples fell in the range below 1. The health risk index indicated the probability of health damage caused by the ingestion of contaminated fodder. An increase of Co concentration in soil, fodder, and blood owing to wastewater irrigation to crops was indicated as an outcome of this investigation. The results indicate that the Co toxicity in forage crops is attributed to Co bioaccumulation, transfer, and pollution load in the soil–water-cattle triangle. Efforts should be extended to avoid contamination of the food chain via Co-rich sewage water. Other nonconventional water resources should be used for forage irrigation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP2022R410), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

Supported by Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP2022R410), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We acknowledge the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for their financial cooperation in this research project #2484/13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Maria Ghazzal, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Kafeel Ahmad & Mudasra Munir

  2. Department of Plant Biology & Soil Science, Universidade de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain

    M. Iftikhar Hussain

  3. Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Bilal Ahamad Paray & Mohammad Khalid Al-Sadoon

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  1. Maria Ghazzal
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Contributions

The research idea and study design were conceived by M.G., Z.I.K., and K.A. The authors M.I.H., B.A.P., and M.K.A. critically revised the manuscript. M.G. executed the experiment and compiled data. M.G. and Z.I.K. statistically analyzed the data and helped in chemical analysis. Z.I.K., M.I.H., B.A.P., and M.K.A. critically edited and revised the manuscript and then prepared the graphs. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to M. Iftikhar Hussain.

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Institutional Animal Ethics Committee, University of Sargodha, has approved all the study protocols (Approval No. 25-A18 IEC UOS). This experiment was also performed according to the rules and guidelines of the National Research Council. The authors declare that the manuscript has not been published previously.

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Ghazzal, M., Hussain, M.I., Khan, Z.I. et al. Bubalus bubalis Blood as Biological Tool to Track Impacts from Cobalt: Bioaccumulation and Health Risks Perspectives from a Water-Soil-Forage-Livestock Ecosystem. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 706–719 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03206-6

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