Heavy metal contamination in water, soil, and vegetables of the industrial areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Fe, and Ni have been estimated in soils and vegetables grown in and around an industrial area of Bangladesh. The order of metal contents was found to be Fe > Cu > Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd in contaminated irrigation water, and a similar pattern Fe > Zn > Ni > Cr > Pb > Cu > Cd was also observed in arable soils. Metal levels observed in different sources were compared with WHO, SEPA, and established permissible levels reported by different authors. Mean concentration of Cu, Fe, and Cd in irrigation water and Cd content in soil were much above the recommended level. Accumulation of the heavy metals…