Bioaccumulation and associated dietary risks of Pb, Cd, and Zn in amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) and jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) grown on soil irrigated using polluted water from Asa River, Nigeria

Abstract

Dietary uptake of heavy metals through the consumption of vegetables grown on polluted soil can have serious human health implications. Thus, the study presented in this paper investigated the bioaccumulation and associated dietary risks of Pb, Zn, and Cd present in vegetables widely consumed in Nigeria, namely amaranth and jute mallow, grown on soil irrigated with polluted water from Asa River. The study found that the soil was polluted with Zn, Pb, and Cd with Pb and Cd being contributed by polluted river, while Zn was from geogenic sources. The metal concentration in amaranth and jute mallow varied in the order of Zn > Pb > Cd and Zn > Pb ≈ Cd, respectively. Jute mallow acts as an excluder plant for Pb, Cd, and Zn. Consequently, the metal concentrations in jute mallow were below the toxic threshold levels. Furthermore, non-cancer human health risk of consuming jute mallow from the study site was not significant. In contrast, the concentrations of Pb and Cd in amaranth were found to be above the recommended safe levels and to be posing human health risks. Therefore, further investigation was undertaken to identify the pathways of heavy metals to amaranth. The study found that the primary uptake pathway of Pb and Cd by amaranth is foliar route, while root uptake is the predominant pathway of Zn in amaranth.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.): A Potential Candidate for Phytoremediation? Biological and Economical Points of View

“…Russia is the biggest exporter of flax but the best quality of flax for fiber extraction is grown in Belgium. With the increase in the market demand for fiber and flaxseed, flax cultivation also needs to increase [55,56]. The flax plant is a long, slender, and can grow to a height of 1.2 m (3 ft).…”

“…There are two methods for harvesting a flax fiber crop, mechanical and manual methods. The mature seeds are 2 mm long and very rich in oil [55,56]. Some essential plants which are considered good candidates for phytoremediation and their comparison with the flax plants are presented in Table 1.…”

“…Similar to flaxseed, flaxseed oil may help lower cholesterol levels. The alpha-linolenic acid in flaxseed oil might play a role in decreasing low-density lipoprotein, or cholesterol [56]. A schematic diagram of flaxseed and flax fiber applications is presented in Figure 3.…”

Copper Uptake and Accumulation, Ultra-Structural Alteration, and Bast Fibre Yield and Quality of Fibrous Jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) Plants Grown under Two Different Soils of China

“…Among these plants, fibrous crops such as Linum usitatissimum [31], Hibiscus cannabinus [32] and Boehmeria nivea [15] have been used for phytoextraction of Cd, Cr and Cu. Jute (C. capsularis L.) is considered as potential candidate against stress condition than other fibrous crop, possibly owing to its specific biochemical and physiological responses [33,34]. C. capsularis has been cultivated for its fibre worldwide, especially in Bangladesh, India and China [35,36].…”

Dosage du plomb et du zinc dans les cultures de l’amarante (<i>Amarantus cruentus</i>) et de la Grande morelle (<i>Solanum macrocarpum</i>): cas de quelques sites maraîchers de Porto-Novo

“…Il apparaît donc que par rapport à la biodisponibilité de chacun des métaux dans l'eau et dans le sol, les légumes-feuilles ont tendance à accumuler relativement beaucoup plus de zinc que de plomb. Ces résultats sont conformes à ceux de Ogunkunle et al (2015).…”