ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT HEAVY METALS OF WINTER VEGETABLES GROWN AT DIFFERENT PLACES OF SAVAR THANA UNDER DHAKA DISTRICT

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the Agro- Environmental Chemistry laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207 during the the period from December 2016 to May 2017 to assess different heavy metals of winter vegetables grown at different places of Savar thana under Dhaka district in Bangladesh. Eleven vegetable samples were collected from four intensively growing areas of Savar thana such as Sadapur kazi para, Nama Genda, Pathalia and Vagolpur and nearest two local market ie. Savar thana bazar and Genda bazar under Dhaka district. Different types (red amaranth, radish, radish spinach, carrot, tomato, brinjal, bottle gourd spinach, fenugreek leaves, bottle gourd, turnip and spinach) of vegetable samples were collected randomly from each selected location. Vegetables were collected at the stage of harvesting from farmers field and nearest local markets. Concentrations of five heavy met als (chromium, cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc) in veget abl es were estimated. The analyzed metals varied from species to species. The highest mean concentration of Pb (3.89 mg/kg) was observed in radish spinach which exceeded the permissible level (0.1 mg/kg) recommended by FAO / WHO (2011). The highest mean concentration of Cr (1.37 mg/kg) was found in red amaranth which was lower than the permissible level (2.3 mg/kg) recommended by FAO / WHO (2011). The highest mean concentration of Cd (0.20 mg/kg) was found in bottle gourd which was higher than the permissible level (0.05 mg/kg) recommended by FAO / WHO (2011).The maximum Zn concentration (2.07mg/kg) was obtained in fenugreek leaves.The highest mean concentration of Cu (1.29 mg/kg) was observed in red amaranth which was lower than the permissible level (40 mg/kg) recommended by FAO / WHO (2011).