Heavy Metals Uptake Levels in Crop Fields of Two S.A.A.R.C. Countries and Their Health Risk Assessments – A Review

ABSTRACT:

This review article highlights the Heavy metals contamination and its uptake in the crops of the S.A.A.R.C. region. The article discusses several reports about the heavy metal toxicity and its spreading in the fields and ultimately taken up by the crops, and transference from the anthroposphere to the humans and animals in the subcontinent or the S.A.A.R.C. regions, namely Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was observed from the reports that most of the heavy metals belong to the transition metals like Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Mercury (Hg), and Lead (Pb), etc. Another salient consideration is how these heavy metals end up in the water and soil and the various anthropogenic sources of these heavy metallic contaminations. The amount in the contaminated and uncontaminated regions was compared experimentally with the allowed amounts in soils of fields and water bodies. It was made according to the local standards and parameters set by the different scientific communities locally and globally (WHO). Different sampling methods were adopted, and the heavy metal uptake and their amounts in the various plant bodies were determined. At the same time, comparisons between the affected and non-affected areas were conducted, and conclusions were drawn from the analysis.