Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution and Estimation of Dlmetal Values in Vegetables Impacted by Translocation and Geological Location

Heavy metals contamination in food consumables especially in vegetables is primarily due to multiple environmental factors and a matter of serious public health concern. The presented study scrutinized the heavy metals level and estimation of daily dietary intake of six main root vegetables; potato, yam, radish, turnip, beet and carrot, which are widely consumed on regular basis by community. Data was collected from three major cities of Pakistan: Karachi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. Average heavy metals concentration in vegetables were found in order of Fe>Cu>Pb>Cd (93.62, 32.16, 11.74, 0.94) mg.kg/sup -1/ and the daily intake metals (DI metal) of root vegetables were estimated 0.0527 mg d/sup -1/, 0.018 mg d/sup -1/, 0.503 μg d/sup -1/, 6.580 μg d/sup -1/ for Fe, Cu, Cd and Pb respectively. This study highlights two main possible sources of heavy metals contamination in vegetables namely the urban area cultivation and vegetables obtained by long distance sources. The values of these metals ingestion were below the recommended maximum tolerable level that presently enforced in world anticipated by the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives (1999), hence are safe to eat yet the risk of excessive ingestion of heavy metals from root vegetables cannot be ignored. In view of this, there is need to develop legislations against malpractices and to design new regulations for translocation of vegetables and training of agribusiness personals. (author)