Assessing the bioavailability and bio accessibility of metal iron in pastureland irrigated with wastewater regime to food crops: wastewater use in agriculture to grow crops to reduce water scarcity | Abstract Book on International Conference on Food and Applied Sciences (ICFAS-23) 3-5 August 23 2023

Yan Sun School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Mine Ecological Restoration, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.

Fu Chen School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Mine Ecological Restoration, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.

Shamayem Aslam Department of Basic & Applied Chemistry, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

Zafar Iqbal Khan Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

Ifra Saleem Malik Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

Kafeel Ahmad Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

Muhammad Nadeem Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan,

Hafsa Memona Department of Zoology, Queen Marry College, Lahore, Pakistan

Purpose: Human beings are exposed to heavy metal stress by the intake of richly contaminated food crops that are chief part of food chain. We studied various parameters in wastewater irrigation based food-crops in which the health risk index (HRI) calculation was the major concern. Methods: Different plant parts like grain and shoot were collected to study iron (Fe) concentrations through atomic absorption spectrophotometer in forages whilst soil and irrigating water samples were also studied in various districts of Punjab province in Pakistan. Our present findings also emphasized on the assessment of Translocation factor (TF), Bio-concentration factor (BCF), Daily intake of metal (DIM), Health Risk Index (HRI) and Enrichment factor (EF) and Pollution load index (PLI). Results:In this experimentation, most of the Fe concentration was found higher in wastewater irrigated site. When wastewater irrigation method was used for agricultural land, the highest Fe concentration in grain was noticed as 3.45 mg/kg and in water samples observed as 3.27 mg/kg. Soil samples with wastewater irrigation showed higher level of PLI than those exhibited by control treatment. Bio-concentration of Fe was noticed higher in millet samples at Lahore as 22.07 mg/kg. The values of health risk index of Iron vary from 0.001 to 0.021 mg/kg and are lower than critical value. Conclusion:It is suggested that wastewater must be treated properly before agricultural use to lessen addition of heavy metals in the cereal crops and implement safe practices for wastewater usage.