Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil and Water from Agricultural Areas of Gujranwala, Pakistan

Sundus Akthar, Ayesha Shafqat, Nasira .

Abstract


This study assessed the contamination levels of seven heavy metals—copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and cobalt (Co)—in agricultural soil and irrigation water from District Gujranwala, Pakistan. Soil and water samples were collected from fields cultivating Pisum sativum, Triticum aestivum, and Allium sativum in the Nowshera Virkan and Phama Sarai areas. Metal concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Results revealed that all tested metals in soil exceeded permissible limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2012), with ranges of 43–75 (Cu), 15–41 (Cd), 200–315 (Cr), 51–77 (Zn), 37–54 (Ni), 375–450 (Pb), and 38–45 mg kg⁻¹ (Co). Irrigation water was similarly contaminated, exhibiting elevated concentrations of these metals. The widespread contamination is attributed primarily to uncontrolled discharge of industrial and tannery effluents, which are used for crop irrigation. This practice poses significant risks to soil health, food safety, and public health through bioaccumulation in the food chain. The findings underscore the urgent need for stringent regulation of industrial waste, adoption of remediation strategies, and shifts toward safer irrigation sources to ensure sustainable agriculture and environmental safety in the region.

Keywords


Heavy metals; Soil contamination; Water pollution; Gujranwala; AAS; Tannery effluents; Agricultural safety

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.33687/planthealth.04.01.5976

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