Current World Environment

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables from Industrial Areas of Haryana

Jyoti Rani¹ , Sonia Rani² , Deepak Kumar¹ , Abhilasha Yadav¹ , Tripti Agarwal³ and Sudesh Chaudhary¹ ^*

¹ Centre of Excellence for Energy and Environmental Studies, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, Sonepat, Haryana India

² Applied Science and Humanities, Panipat Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panipat, Haryana India

³ Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Sonepat, Haryana India

Corresponding author Email: sudesh.energy@dcrustm.org

Abstract

This study examines the presence of heavy metal pollution in 111 vegetable samples that were collected in the winter from industrial regions in Haryana, India. The samples mean heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg-1 dry weight) were determined to be as follows Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, was 158.01, 0.23, 0.04, 3.70, 7.82, 297.87, 39.81, 1.78, 0.52, and 32.21 respectively. Two main metal clusters (Al-Fe-Pb and Zn-Cu) were identified by statistical analysis, indicating shared contamination sources. The FAO/WHO-established acceptable limits for heavy metals were surpassed by the majority of vegetables, presenting serious health hazards. For every species of vegetable, the total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) was higher than 1, suggesting a possible non-carcinogenic health risk to consumers. The highest metal pollution index (MPI) was found in leafy vegetables, indicating a higher propensity for metal accumulation. The results highlight how urgently monitoring and mitigating measures are needed to lower the exposure to heavy metals from eating vegetables in industrial areas.

Keywords

Heavy metals; Health risk assessment; Hazard quotient; Metal pollution index; Principal component analysis; Vegetables

Copy the following to cite this article:

Rani J, Rani S, Kumar D, Yadav A, Agarwal T, Chaudhary S. Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables from Industrial Areas of Haryana. Curr World Environ 2025;20(2).

Copy the following to cite this URL:

Rani J, Rani S, Kumar D, Yadav A, Agarwal T, Chaudhary S. Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables from Industrial Areas of Haryana. Curr World Environ 2025;20(2).

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