Health Risk assessment of Heavy Metals for population via consumption of Pulses and Cereals

Plants absorb a number of elements from the soil, some of which have no biological significance while some are biologically toxic even at low concentration. The objective of present study was to assess the concentration of heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ni and Pb) in edible cereals like multi colored rajma, white rajma, red rajma, red moong, white beans, black beans, local rice, mustard (oil yielding crop), white moong and wheat grown in the farmlands of Ganderbal and Srinagar district of Kashmir. The maximum concentration of heavy metals i.e. iron 4.73±0.02 ppm in red moong, copper 0.86±0.02 ppm in white beans, zinc 0.092±0.02 ppm in black beans, cadmium 0.03±0.01 ppm white rajma and black beans, mercury 0.32±0.01 ppm in white beans, nickel 1.33±0.02 ppm in multi colored rajma and lead 0.16±0.06 ppm in local rice were recorded. The results revealed that heavy metal concentrations were under the acceptable limits of WHO and FAO standards, hence it can be concluded that edible pulses and cereals that are growing in Ganderbal and Srinagar are not dangerous for human consumption.