One of the primary environmental routes through which humans are exposed to metals and may be exposed to health risks is the food chain's contamination with heavy metals. The study observed the risks posed by contaminants in vegetables produced in soil that received wastewater irrigation, as well as their origins and the human health impacts. Eight harmful metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr) were tested for concentration levels in water, soil, and vegetable samples using analytical techniques and an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The present study investigated the potential health implications associated with the consumption of vegetables irrigated using wastewater containing heavy metals. The results indicated a notable accumulation of heavy metals in plant and soil samples obtained from Kirri Shamozai, Pakistan. In comparison to vegetables cultivated in soil irrigated with fresh water, the concentration levels of heavy metals in vegetables grown on soil irrigated with untreated wastewater were considerably higher at (P ≤ 0.001) and above the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits. The results showed that heavy metals had significantly accumulated in the soil and had permeated into the crops. Heavy metal concentrations in vegetables cultivated on land irrigated with wastewater were more significant than those grown on land irrigated with freshwater. They exceeded US EPA and World Health Organization (WHO) limits. PCA results for Pb, Cu, and Cr are the main issues impacting water quality and health hazards. The PCA results show that the soil has an extensive loading of heavy metals Cd, Ni, and Mn.
Keywords: Kirri Shamozai; daily intake; health risk; heavy metals; vegetables; wastewater.