干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Jodhpur city comes in the Thar Desert area of Rajasthan where water availability is very low. Due to shortage of water, irrigation with effluents is very common here, as it provides farmers a very reliable and cheap water source. There are over 10,000 textile and other industrial units. These are discarding effluent water (without treatment) directly in to the drain which are connected to five nallahs. Water from these nallah finally meets with Jojari river. Farmers are using this water directly by installing pipes and pumps for irrigation. This effluent water is contaminating the soil with toxic metal ions. The toxic metal ions from the Soil infiltrate into the plant tissues and with continuous ingestion, the contaminated vegetables are causing many health problems to the living organisms. To evaluate metal toxicity in the vegetables, we have conducted a detailed study of the vegetables grown in the problematic areas. Samples were collected, prepared and then analyzed for toxic metal contents using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results were compared with limits prescribed by WHO. Most of the leafy vegetables grown here were found to be severely contaminated with Cd, Cu, Cr, Co, Ni, Fe and Pb. If such vegetables are consumed regularly it can contribute to various diseases including cancer, kidney failure, and heart and skin diseases. Therefore it is strongly recommended to stop the use of industrial effluent water and sewage waste water for irrigation before a prescribed treatment to stop toxic metal infiltration to the edibles and ensure safety of human life.