Assessment of Human Health Risks from the Distribution and Concentration of Heavy Metals in Soil, Groundwater, and Vegetables in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Heavy metals present in soil, groundwater, and vegetables have remained highly contaminated due to industrial activities in the city of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. The current paper assesses the distribution and concentration of heavy metals namely Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb), and Cadmium (Cd) within soil, ground water, and vegetable samples from five different sites across Aligarh. The results reveal high degrees of contamination with a predominance of metal content that exceeds permissible limits set by WHO and national standards in the industrial and semi-industrial areas. The severity of pollution along with the health implications has been estimated using Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), and Transfer Factor (TF) analysis. The paper suggests an urgent requirement for monitoring as well as mitigation through sustainable mechanisms to protect the public health system and integrity of the environment.