IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT) e-ISSN: 2319-2402,p- ISSN: 2319-2399.Volume 13, Issue 5 Ser. I (May. 2019), PP 59-71 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/2402-1305015971 www.iosrjournals.org 59 | Page Translocation of heavy metals from industry into vegetables and crops through water and soil of Mokesh Beel in Bangladesh and their impact on human body Md. Shakil Ahmed, 1 Md. Mahfuzul Hasan Biswas, 1 Md. Abdul Mottalib 1* Muhammad Nur Alam 2 and Mala Khan 3 1 Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh 2 RSL, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, DEPZ, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh 3 Designated Reference Institute for Chemical Measurements (DRiCM), BCSIR, Dhaka, Bangladesh * Corresponding Author: Md. Abdul Mottalib Abstract:The contaminations of toxic heavy metals such as, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg and Pb in irrigation water, soil and highly consumed seven vegetables and crops at Mokesh Beel, Gazipur in Bangladesh, were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Most of the metal’s concentrations exceeded the maximum permissible limit set by Pescod, (1992); EU, (2002); Awashthi, (2000); FAO/WHO, (1994, 2001) and others international standard for irrigation water, soil, crops and vegetables. The mean concentrations of metals were observed decreasing in the following order: Fe > Zn > Mn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Hg > As > Cd > Ni in irrigation water; Fe > Mn > Cr > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cu > As > Cd > Hg in soil and Zn > Fe > Pb > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cr > As > Cd > Hg in vegetables and crops. Contamination factor (CF) showed that the crops and vegetables were moderate to highly contaminated by Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb. The pollution load index (PLI) and the geo-accumulation index (I geo ) values of analysed samples revealed that the crops and vegetables wereuncontaminated to highly contaminated. The target qutioned hazards (THQs) of most of the metals were >1, suggesting remarkable non-carcinogenic health hazards for adult population. Total THQs of all metals were >1 through consumption of all crops and vegetables, indicating significant health risks. The total carcinogenic risk (TR) of arsenic was above the safe standard (1E-06 to 1E-04) as well as Pb in most samples, suggesting remarkable carcinogenic risk (TR) from their consumption. The present study revealed that the health risks associated with the consumption of heavy metals through the intake of vegetables and crops in adult population of Mokesh Beel area in Bangladesh. Keywords: Heavy metals; Target hazard; Carcinogenic; Pollution load; Mokesh Beel. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 08-05-2019 Date of acceptance: 23-05-2019 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction Contamination of heavy metals in the aquatic environment has attracted considerable global attention owing to its abundance, persistence and environmental toxicity(Ahmed et al., 2015a,b). Both natural and anthropogenic activities are responsible for the abundant of heavy metals in the environment (Wilson & Pyatt, 2007; Khan et al., 2008). However, anthropogenic activities can effortlessly generate heavy metals in sediment and water that pollute the aquatic environment (Sánchez-Chardi et al., 2007). Heavy metal pollution of agricultural soil and vegetables through waste water is one of the most severe ecological problems on a world scale as well as in Bangladesh. The food chain contamination is the major pathway of heavy metal exposure for humans (Khan et al., 2008). Industrial or municipal wastewater irrigation is a common reality in three fourth of the cities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Gupta et al., 2009). Rapid and unorganized urban and industrial developments have contributed to the elevated levels of heavy metals in the urban environment of developing countries such as Egypt (Radwan and Salama, 2006), Iran (Maleki & Zarasvand, 2008), China (Wong et al., 2003), India (Sharma et al., 2008a,b) and Bangladesh (Ahmad & Goni, 2010). Long-term use of industrial or municipal wastewater in irrigation is known to have significant contribution to trace elements such as Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, As, Hg and Mn in surface soil (Mapanda et al., 2005). Excessive accumulation of trace elements in agricultural soils through wastewater irrigation may not only result in soil contamination but also affect food quality and safety (Muchuweti et al., 2006; Sharma et al., 2007). Therefore, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and other regulatory bodies of various countries have established the maximum permitted concentrations of heavy metals in foodstuffs (Xue et al., 2012). Vegetables cultivated in soils polluted with toxic metals due to industrial activities take up heavy metals and accumulate them in their