PJB-2023-266
ASSESSMENT OF NICKEL AND COBALT TOXICITY THROUGH CONSUMPTION OF GUAVA, GOLA AND SURAHI, VARIETIES TREATED BY VARIOUS IRRIGATION SOURCES
SANA ANWAR
Abstract
Nickel and cobalt are essential micronutrients required for plant growth, but their excessive accumulation in fruits can pose a health risk to humans. Guava is a popular tropical fruit known for its nutritional value, and its consumption has increased globally. Guava orchards are irrigated with contaminated water in different regions of the world. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the potential toxicity of nickel and cobalt in two guava varieties (Gola and Surahi) grown under different irrigation systems, providing valuable insights into the safety of consuming these fruits. For the analysis of nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), samples of soil, water and fruits were collected from orchards grown in peri-urban areas, Chak 81 S.B (site I) and 88 S.B (site II) of Sargodha, Pakistan, which were irrigated with tube well water and wastewater, respectively. The mean value of Ni and Co were found in the range of 0.0434 to 0.217 mgL-1 and 0.017 to 0.040 mgL-1 in water, 1.07 to 1.254 mgkg-1 and 1.032 to 1.248 mgkg-1 in soil, and 0.281 to 0.582 mgkg-1 and 0.202 to 0.252 mgkg-1 in fruit samples, respectively.The health risk index (HRI) was greater than 1, indicating a high level of soil contamination and the influence of natural and anthrropogenic sources of nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) accumulations in soils. The bioconcentration factor (BCF), daily intake of metal (DIM), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI) were less than 1, indicating that toxic metals were present in lower quantities in guava varieties and had no health risks to consumers. These results recommended that consistent application of wastewater for irrigation must be avoided to prevent health hazards associated with toxic metals in the animal and human food chain.
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