Arsenic and Cadmium Risk Assessment in a Domestic Wastewater Irrigated Area Using Samples of Water, Soil and Forages as Indicators

Abstract

The recent research was performed to investigate the toxicity of As and Cd in suburban area of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Water, soil and forage samples were collected for this purpose in summer and winter season and analysis was done via wet digestion to determine the concentration of selected heavy metals. The mean concentration of As and Cd in water was found above the permissible maximum limit. Mean concentration of Cd in soil and forages was lower than the allowed limit whereas As which was higher than the PML in forages. So, continuous use of domestic wastewater for irrigation purpose should be avoided in order to secure the area from any hazard in near future.

Keywords

• toxicity
• cadmium
• arsenic
• wastewater
• irrigation.