Risk assessment of trace metals in Solanum lycopersicum L. (tomato) grown under wastewater irrigation conditions.

Heavy metal contamination of food crop plants is viewed as a global issue. Heavy metals like cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), and mercury (Hg) are poisonous. Depending on their concentration and capacity for bioaccumulation, they can provide a range of health risks.This research sought to investigate the effects of toxic metals (TMs) on the growth characteristics of produced tomatoes grown under wastewater irrigation. Additionally, it looked into the potential repercussions of both domestic and foreign individuals consuming this plant. In south Cairo, Egypt, two study locations were looked into: a control site in Abu Ragwan, which received water from tributaries of the Nile River, and a contaminated site in El-Shobak El-Sharky, which had raw industrial wastewater. The nutrients of soil and tomato plants (N, P, and K) decreased (P < 0.01), while TMs increased (P < 0.001) significantly as a result of using wastewater for irrigation. Except for Cu, all examined TM accumulating in tomato plants' roots as opposed to shoots had a bioaccumulation factor (BF) > 1. However, the tomato plant's shoot had solely undergone Pb and Ni translocation and storage, with a translocation factor (TF) > 1. A significant amount of Fe (5000.1 mg kg-1), Pb (360.7 mg kg-1), and Mn (356.3 mg kg-1) were present in the edible fruits. The ingestion of contaminated crops increases the daily intake rate of metals (DIR). The values of the high hazard quotient (HQ) were obtained (2073.8 and 2558.9 for Pb, 574.0 and 708.3 for Cd, and 41.1 and 50.7 for Fe for adults and children, respectively). Therefore, tomato plants grown in soils irrigated with untreated wastewater may offer a greater danger to human health, indicating that they should not be grown as a crop for human consumption.

Accumulation and translocation of eight trace metals by the different tissues of Abelmoschus esculentus Moench. irrigated with untreated wastewater.

Due to water scarcity, the use of wastewater to irrigate crops is on the rise all over the world, including in Egypt (particularly untreated wastewater). The purpose of this study is to see if irrigation with untreated industrial wastewater in natural fields can cause Abelmoschus esculentus Moench. (okra plant) to accumulate and translocate eight trace metals (lead: Pb, cadmium: Cd, chromium: Cr, copper: Cu, iron: Fe, manganese: Mn, nickel: Ni, and zinc: Zn) in its different tissues. It was extended to look at the effects of wastewater irrigation on the farmed okra plants' growth characteristics, nutrients, colors, and organic content. Two studied sites at South of Cairo have been investigated: the first site (29°42'31.17" N and 31°15'11.56" E) represented by five cultivated fields irrigated with Nile water (control) and the second site (29°42'37.87" N and 31°17'14.53" E) fields irrigated with effluent received untreated industrial wastewater. Three composite soil and irrigated water samples were collected from each site. Because of wastewater irrigation, soil and plant nutrients (nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus) decreased significantly (at P < 0.01), whereas trace metals increased significantly (at P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) for soil and plant samples irrigated with untreated wastewater. Due to irrigation with untreated wastewater, there was also a significant decrease in okra growth metrics (at P < 0.05) and leaves photosynthetic pigments: chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids (at P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). In the plant's fruits (edible section) watered with wastewater, iron was the most abundant metal. Besides, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn concentrations were also in the phytotoxic range (42.57, 140.67, 2756.67, 1293.33, 1326.67, and 877.83 mg kg-1, respectively). All trace elements examined accumulate in the roots of wastewater irrigated okra (Bioaccumulation factor > 1). Okra plants, on the other hand, did not have an accumulated trace metals strategy in their shoots since the translocation factor was less than one. Because of substantial trace metal accumulation in their edible sections, the scientists advised against eating okra plants grown in fields watered with untreated wastewater.

Efficacy of two seaweeds dry mass in bioremediation of heavy metal polluted soil and growth of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) plant.

This study investigated the effect of Ulva fasciata and Sargassum lacerifolium seaweeds as heavy metal remediators for soil and on the growth of radish (Raphanus sativus L.). The soil was inoculated by dry biomass of each seaweed alone and by their mixture. Seaweeds inoculation increased the organic matter content, clay-size fraction, and nutrients in the soil. Seaweeds mixture treatment caused a significant reduction in the contents of Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni in the soil samples and reduced them to the tolerable limits (40.2, 49.3, 43.8 and 1.1 mg kg-1, respectively), while Cd, Cr, Fe, and Mn contents were closely decreased to the tolerable limits. Biosorption of soil heavy metals by seaweeds decreased the bioaccumulated concentrations of metals in radish plant roots and/or translocated to its shoots compared to control. For seaweeds mixture-treated soil, cultivated radish roots were able to phyto-extract Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni from the soil (bioaccumulation factor values > 1) of 7.45, 1.18, 3.13, and 26.6, respectively. Seaweeds inoculation promoted the growth of cultivated radish and improved the germination percentage and the morphological and biochemical growth parameters compared to control plants. The achieved soil remediation by dried seaweeds might be due to their efficient metal biosorption capacity due to the existence of active functional groups on their cell wall surfaces. Increased growth observed in radish was as a result of nutrients and growth hormones (gibberellins, indole acetic acid, and cytokinins) present in dried seaweeds. This study shows the efficiency of seaweeds as eco-friendly bioremediators for controlling soil pollution.