ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL AND METALLOID LEVELS IN SPINACH (SPINACIA OLERACEA L.) GROWN IN WASTEWATER IRRIGATED AGRICULTURAL SOIL OF SARGODHA, PAKISTAN

摘要

Heavy metal-induced pollution causes an adverse effect on the agricultural production system. In the present study westudied the pattern of accumulation of different metals in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) irrigated with wastewater.Considerably elevated concentrations of metals were observed in the wastewater irrigated soil and vegetable. For example,the levels Mo, Cd and Pb in the vegetable exceeded the permissible limit suggested by the World Health Organization. Asignificant and positive correlation was observed between the soil and vegetable in terms of levels of different metals.Transfer coefficients for Cr, Zn and Cu were above 0.5 which indicated high level of metal contamination mainly due toanthropogenic activities in the study site. The pollution load index was also considerably high for the spinach plants growingon the metal contaminated soil suggesting that proper management of the study area is required to protect all vegetablesbeing grown therein from the accumulation of high levels of different metals examined in the present study.