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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/FWSH/27
Heavy metals contamination of vegetables grown on soils irrigated by Wali Muhammad
Distributary Multan
1
2
3
1*
1
Zunaira Manzoor , Abid Hussain , Shah Rukh , Wazir Ahmad , Abdul Ghaffar , Adnan
1
Fareed
1 Deparment of Soil and Environmental Sciences, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan,
Pakistan
2 National Center of Excellence in Geolog, University of Peshawar
3 Department of Agronomy, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
Correspondence: abid.hussain@mnsuam.edu.pk
Abstract
Heavy metals pollution of agricultural lands in the sewage irrigated areas causes a severe threat
to human health. The metals reside in the soil and are taken up by the plants. However, in
Pakistan, sewage water for irrigation purposes in vegetables has become common practice.
Under such circumstances, it is necessary to monitor the concentration of heavy metals in soil
and plants. The present study collected soil, wastewater, and vegetables from five peri-urban
agricultural areas of Wali Muhammad Distributary (Nau Bahar Canal, Hamid Pur, Bahawalpur
Sukhan, MNS University of Agriculture Multan and Agricultural Mechanization Research
Institute). Soil samples were taken from 0-15 cm, and 15-30 cm depths, sewage water and
vegetable samples were also collected from the sites mentioned above and analyzed for heavy
metals contents. The heavy metals assessed in soil showed that the topsoil contained Nickle
(Ni) 9.0ppm, Cadmium(Cd) 13.2ppm, Copper(Cu) 264.0ppm, Lead(Pb) 13.3ppm and Zinc(Zn)
120.1ppm while subsurface soil contained Ni 18.0ppm, Cd 16.6ppm, Cu 198.1ppm, Cu 9.8ppm
and Pb 89.3ppm respectively. In soil, the Cd, Cu and Zn were above the permissible limits
proposed by WHO, while the concentration of Pb and Ni were below the allowable limits. The
sewage water contained the concentration of Ni 23.4ppm, Cd 11.2ppm, Cu 47.8ppm, Pb
8.1ppm and Zn 94.8 ppm, respectively. In vegetable plant samples, the mean concentration of
Ni 2.41ppm, Cd 1.40ppm, Cu 4.97ppm, Pb 0.85ppm and Zn 9.54 ppm was found. The
concentration of Cd and Zn were higher than the permissible limit. However, Cu, Pb and Ni
were found within the maximum allowed range. The use of city effluent increases metals in the
soil, plants and water. Hence it is suggested that city effluent must be treated to detoxify metals
before use for irrigation purposes for crops.
Keywords: Heavy metals, Soil, Plant, Wastewater Geoaccumulation index, Enrichment

factor

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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