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A field experiment was conducted to identify the risk associated with Zinc (Zn) accumulation in leafy vegetable irrigated with final (FSTW) and biological (BSTW) secondary treated wastewater under soil and soilless culture. For purposes of analysis, the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the concentrations of Zn in wastewater, soil and plant samples followed by risk assessment. The results revealed that Zn concentrations of secondary treated wastewater were significantly higher in BSTW as compared to FSTW. Meanwhile, the Zn concentrations were found higher in plants grown under soilless culture as compared to soil culture. Besides, the daily intake metals for Zn were found to be higher in soilless culture as compared to soil culture. In addition, children were exposed to higher health risks than adults since the daily intake metals of Zn via consumption of plants was found to be significantly higher for children as compared to adults. However, the health risk index values were found to be less than 1. Thus, the risk associated with Zn contamination through consumption of plants irrigated with secondary treated wastewater by adults and children was no consequences and assumed to be safe in general. Yet, continuous monitoring is required in order to access possible detrimental effects to the human and environmental associated with secondary treated wastewater. |
