ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN DIFFERENT PLANTS SPECIES AROUND MEHMOOD BOOTI DUMPING SITE AND ASSOCIATED HUMAN HEALTH RISK

Abstract

Prolific release of heavy metals in the environment is causing various environmental and human health risk. Therefore, the present study was planned to study the level of heavy metals in various part of plants growing around a dumping site of Lahore. A total of eightmetals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe, Cu, Pb,Zn,Mn) were examined in wild and edible plants around Mahmood booti dumping site. A total of nine food crops, six wild herbs and three wild shrubs were screened for heavy metals. Ni, Cu, Pb and Cd went recorded beyond the permissible of World health organization (WHO) in these plant species. The Accumulation factor (AF) is > 1 for all eight metals except Mn and Cu in most of the studied food crops. Human Health risk index HRI >1 was also recorded for Cd in Spinacia Oleracea andSolanamtubersum. We concluded that elevated level of heavy metals around dumping sites is posing some serious health risk which should be mitigated effectively to avoid future worst consequences.