Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils and Crops Irrigated with Lakes of Bengaluru
N. Hamsa, N. B. Prakash
Abstract
Soils and vegetable crops being irrigated with water from six lakes in Bengaluru, India were analysed using ICP-OES for heavy metals and characterized based on the permissible limits of the European Union (EU) and the Indian Standards (IS). Chromium, nickel and lead content in the soils ranged from 89.36 to 145.21, 0.90 to 19.17 and below detection limit to 0.31 mg kg -1 respectively. Among the total soil samples collected, 15%, 22%, 20%, 23%, 15% and 33% of the samples exceeded permissible limits of EU and IS for cadmium under Margondanahalli, Yele Mallappa Shetty, Hoskote, Varthur, Byramangala and Jigani lake respectively. All the crop samples analysed exceeded the EU standards for Cr, 25% for Ni, and none for Cd and Pb.