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Pak. J. Bot., 47(1): 217-224, 2015.

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BIOACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS AND METALLOIDS IN LUFFA  (LUFFA CYLINDRICA L.) IRRIGATED WITH DOMESTIC WASTEWATER IN JHANG, PAKISTAN: A PROSPECT FOR HUMAN NUTRITION

ZAFAR IQBAL KHAN1, KAFEEL AHMAD1, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF2,3*, RUKHSANA PARVEEN1, IRFAN MUSTAFA1, AMEER KHAN1, ZAHARA BIBI1 AND NUDRAT AISHA AKRAM4

Abstract: In the present study, 12 heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Se, As, and Mo) were assessed in a potential vegetable Luffa cylindrica. The vegetable was collected randomly from two different sites located at Jhang, Punjab Pakistan. The analyses of variance of data collected from soil showed non-significant effect on Se, Zn, As, Cr, Ni, Mo and Pb while significant effect on Fe, Co, Mn, Cu and Cd metals. Concentrations of all 12 heavy metals in the soil samples were low at sampling site-I as compared to those at site-II except Ni. These concentrations were found below the safe limits except that of Cd. At site-I, the concentrations recorded for different heavy metals were: As > Fe > Pb > Mn > Cd > Co > Cu > Mo > Zn > Ni > Se > Cr while at site-II were: As > Fe > Mn > Pb > Co > Cd > Cu > Mo > Zn > Ni > Se > Cr. Enrichment co-efficient of Cr was higher which showed that root of luffa plant accumulated more Cr concentration from the contaminated soil. The order of enrichment co-efficient was recorded at site-I as: Cr > Zn > Mn > Cu > Fe > Ni > Mo > Pb > As > Se > Co > Cd, and at site-II Cr > Zn > Mn > Ni > Cu > Fe > Mo > Pb > Se > As > Co > Cd. The transfer co-efficient of Mn was higher which indicates that more contents of Mn were transferred from roots to upper edible part. The order of transfer co-efficient at site-I was: Ni > Se > Mo > Cr > Zn > Fe > Mn > Cd > Pb > As > Cu > Co and at site-II was Mn > Zn > As > Fe > Pb > Se > Cd > Co > Mo > Cu > Ni > Cr. Correlation analysis showed that Mn, Se, Co, Cd, Ni, Mo and Pb had positive non-significant correlation, whereas a negative and non-significant correlation for Zn, As, Fe and Cr. The order of pollution load index at site-I was Cd > Mo > Se > Pb > Cu > Co > As > Fe > Mn > Ni > Zn > Cr and at site-II: Cd > Mo > Se > Pb > Cu > Co > As > Fe > Mn > Ni > Zn > Cr. Overall, at both sites, lowest concentration of Cr and highest of As were observed which need substantial awareness. Health risk index depends on soil characteristics, chemical composition, rate of consumption and type of a vegetable. In the present study, the order of health risk index due to these heavy metals at site-I was as As > Mo > Mn > Pb > Ni  > Cd > Zn > Se > Fe > Co > Cr > Cu and at site-II as As > Mn > Mo > Pb > Cd > Zn > Ni > Se > Fe > Co > Cr > Cu.

Keywords: Metals and metalloids, Wastewater, Luffa cylindrica, Maximum permissible limits, Dietary toxicity.

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

²Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan

³Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁴Govt. College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author’s e-mail: ashrafbot@yahoo.com