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. 2024 Sep 4;29(17):4187.
doi: 10.3390/molecules29174187.

Presence of Heavy Metals in Irrigation Water, Soils, Fruits, and Vegetables: Health Risk Assessment in Peri-Urban Boumerdes City, Algeria

Mohamed Younes Aksouh  1 , Naima Boudieb  1   2 , Nadjib Benosmane  2   3 , Yacine Moussaoui  4   5 , Rajmund Michalski  6 , Justyna Klyta  6 , Joanna Kończyk  7
Affiliations

Presence of Heavy Metals in Irrigation Water, Soils, Fruits, and Vegetables: Health Risk Assessment in Peri-Urban Boumerdes City, Algeria

Mohamed Younes Aksouh et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

This study investigates heavy metal contamination in soils, irrigation water, and agricultural produce (fruits: Vitis vinifera (grape), Cucumis melo var. saccharimus (melon), and Citrullus vulgaris. Schrade (watermelon); vegetables: Lycopersicum esculentum L. (tomato), Cucurbita pepo (zucchini), Daucus carota (carrot), Lactuca sativa (lettuce), Convolvulus Batatas (potato), and Capsicum annuum L. (green pepper)) in the Boumerdes region of Algeria. The concentrations of seven heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) in soil and food samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Health risks associated with these metals were evaluated through the estimated daily intake (EDI), non-carcinogenic risks (using target hazard quotient (THQ), total target hazard quotient (TTHQ), and hazard index (HI)), and carcinogenic risks (cancer risk factor (CR)). Statistical analyses, including cluster analysis (CA) and Pearson correlation, were conducted to interpret the data. The results revealed the highest metal transfer as follows: Cd was most significantly transferred to tomatoes and watermelons; Cr to carrots; Cu to tomatoes; and Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn to lettuce. Among fruits, the highest EDI values were for Zn (2.54·10-3 mg/day) and Cu (1.17·10-3 mg/day), with melons showing the highest Zn levels. For vegetables, the highest EDI values were for Fe (1.68·10-2 mg/day) and Zn (8.37·10-3 mg/day), with potatoes showing the highest Fe levels. Although all heavy metal concentrations were within the World Health Organization's permissible limits, the HI and TTHQ values indicated potential health risks, particularly from vegetable consumption. These findings suggest the need for ongoing monitoring to ensure food safety and mitigate health risks associated with heavy metal contamination.

Keywords: Boumerdes; food; fruit; health risk; heavy metals; irrigation water; soil; vegetables.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of the metal content in the waters of different regions of Algeria [26,27,28,29,30,31,32].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dendrogram resulting from the hierarchical cluster analysis of the heavy metal concentrations in the studied soils.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of the metal content in soils of different regions of Algeria [23,33,38,39,40,41,42,43].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Dendrogram resulting from the hierarchical cluster analysis of the heavy metal concentration in the studied food.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Transfer factors of the fruits and vegetables grown in the studied region of Boumerdes.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Target hazard quotient (THQ) (A) and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) (B) for consumers of the food from the studied area.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Study area with sampling sites and location of industrial activities (a—Ezmam/Solgen Paper Factory; b—Imotep Pharm; c—EURL Lepro Chemical Plant Pack; d—GC BFE; e—SNC Hassani; f—Socotid).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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