Heavy Metal Detection From Sewage Irrigated Soil Beside Railway Tracks in Mumbai

Abstract

There are more than 100 local train stations in Mumbai and suburban areas which are connected to each other through railway comprising 4 major lines. Each route contains slow and fast tracks running. On the adjacent side of these routes are small patches of land which are used for cultivation. The railway authorities give these lands for farming of some leafy and non-leafy vegetable crops. Majority of these lands are irrigated by the open sewage lines which run besides and parallel to the railway tracks and they bring many unwanted chemicals which are absorbed by plants to more or less extent. The water in these sewerlines comes from domestic, commercial and other sources. The present study deals with quantification of Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ar and Cu from soil sample using laboratory methods. The results indicated a low to medium level of pollution of these in soils, except some of the areas where it is high. The Pb, Ar and Cu were common pollutants near many stations and occur in comparable amount whereas Cd and Zn occur near fewer stations and also in less to medium quantity and Hg contents were found to be the least. The results indicate that though the sewage water can be used for such sewage farming, the water quality should be monitored continuously for heavy metals and other form of pollutants to ensure safety for vegetable consumption.