Studies on heavy metals status and their uptake by vegetables in adjoining areas of Hudiara drain in Lahore

Pakistan has a population of over 150 million and is one of the few countries that is almost completely dependant on a single river system for all its agricultural water demands. The Indus river and its tributaries provide water to over 16 million hectares of land, situated in the mainly arid and semi-arid zones of the country. A rapidly growing population, saline groundwater, a poorly performing irrigation distribution system and recurrent droughts have led to increased water shortages. Under these conditions, the use of untreated waste water being more nutritious for crops and free of cost is becoming a common and widespread practice. Hudiara drain originates from India and enters Pakistan near Hudiara village on Pakistan side and serves as a source of free water for growing crops especially vegetables on both side of the drain. This study was conducted to investigate the heavy metal contents in Hudiara drain water and their uptake by vegetables irrigated by the drain water in the adjoining area of this drain. This might serve as an indication of the future risks to humans and animals from the movement of these heavy metals in food chain by the consumption of vegetables produced using polluted water. The results indicated that Hudiara drain water in routine water analysis parameters is fit for irrigation but unfit in relation to heavy metals contents. Soil irrigated by this water is also having higher DTPA-extractable metals contents than canal irrigated and the vegetables under study were also having metal contents far high than Indian standards for safe consumption of vegetables. Highest metals contents were observed in spinach and lowest in bringals, others in between, indicating that these vegetables should be consumed carefully if produced using the p