Potentially toxic metals in irrigation water, soil, and vegetables and their health risks using Monte Carlo models Muyiwa Michael Orosun, Samuel Nwabachili, Reem F. Alshehri, Maxwell Omeje, Ibtehaj F. Alshdoukhi, et al. Scientific Reports, 2023 Food safety has become a serious global concern because of the accumulation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in crops cultivated on contaminated agricultural soils. Amongst these toxic elements, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) receive worldwide attention because of their ability to cause deleterious health effects. Thus, an assessment of these toxic metals in the soils, irrigation waters, and the most widely consumed vegetables in Nigeria; Spinach (Amaranthushybridus), and Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The mean concentration (measured in mg kg−1) of the PTMs in the soils was in the sequence Cr (81.77) > Pb(19.91) > As(13.23) > Cd(3.25), exceeding the WHO recommended values in all cases. This contamination was corroborated by the pollution evaluation indices. The concentrations (measured in mg l−1) of the PTMs in the irrigation water followed a similar pattern i.e. Cr(1.87) > Pb(1.65) > As(0.85) > Cd(0.20). All the PTMs being studied, were found in the vegetables with Cr (5.37 and 5.88) having the highest concentration, followed by Pb (3.57 and 4.33), and As (1.09 and 1.67), while Cd (0.48 and 1.04) had the lowest concentration (all measured in mg kg−1) for cabbage and spinach, respectively. The concentration of the toxic metals was higher in spinach than in cabbage, which may be due to the redistribution of the greater proportion of the metals above the ground tissue, caused by the bioavailability of metals in the aqueous phase. Expectedly, the hazard index (HI),and carcinogenic risk values of spinach were higher than that of cabbage. This implies that spinach poses potentially higher health risks. Similarly, the Monte Carlo simulation results reveal that the 5th percentile, 95th percentile, and 50th percentile of the cumulative probability of cancer risks due to the consumption of these vegetables exceeds the acceptable range of 1.00E−6 and 1.00E−4. Thus, the probable risk of a cancerous effect is high, and necessary remedial actions are recommended.
Potentially Toxic Elements in Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluents: A Review on Risk Assessment, Treatment, and Management for Human Health Hussein K. Okoro, Muyiwa M. Orosun, Faith A. Oriade, Tawakalit M. Momoh-Salami, Clement O. Ogunkunle, et al. Sustainability Switzerland, 2023 Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are metallic chemicals with densities that are higher than that of water. Water pollution by PTEs due to the discharge of untreated pharmaceutical industrial effluents is a risk to human health and ecological integrity. The present review paper provides an overview of the threats to human health due to water contamination by PTEs such as lead, cobalt, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic originating from pharmaceutical industrial wastewater. This review reveals the associated advantages and shortcomings of the outmoded and the modern methods and the challenges involved in addressing the shortcomings. Additionally, due to the increasing amount of uncontrollable pharmaceutical effluents entering the ecosystem, this paper reviewed the management approach supported by the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency. Studies revealed that PTEs find their way into human bodies through different pathways, which include drinking water, edibles, and dermal vulnerability at intervals. This paper focuses on how pharmaceutical effluents can be handled and how regulations and strategies can be reinforced step by step. To preserve public health and the environment, a comprehensive study on the environmental evaluation of carcinogenic substances, particularly toxic elements and metalloids, should be supported and advocated. To protect living organisms and the welfare of consumers, efforts should be made to reduce the presence of potentially hazardous elements on land and water.
Levels and mobility of CU, PB and CD in citrus orchards of two contrasting ages in north-central region of Nigeria Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, 2020
Interaction of nanoparticles with soil Clement Oluseye Ogunkunle, Stephen Oyedeji, Hussein Kehinde Okoro, Vincent Adimula Nanomaterials for Soil Remediation, 2020
Thuja occidentalis and Duranta repens as indicators of urban air pollution in industrialized areas of southwest Nigeria Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, 2019
Spatial distribution of some toxic metals in topsoil and bioaccumulation in wild flora around a metal scrap factory: A case of southwestern Nigeria Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 2017
Water hyacinth and duckweed as indicator of heavy metal pollution in River Asa Journal of Industrial Pollution Control, 2013
Pollution loads and the ecological risk assessment of soil heavy metals around a mega cement factory in southwest Nigeria Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 2013
