Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
1
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
2
Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran 1411813389, Iran
Abstract
Heavy metals are among the most significant types of pollutants entering the environment, making the control of their presence in the environment crucial. This study aims to assess the health risk of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) metals in aquatic plants and water of Qanats in South Khorasan in eastern Iran. For this purpose, Water samples (n=30) and plant samples (n=120), one sample from each of the four aquatic plant species: Adiantum capillus-vernis, Plantago lanceolata, Chara globularis, and Mentha Pulegium, were collected from 10 different Qanats in 2023 with three replications. The concentration of metals in the samples was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. The results of this study showed that the average concentration of Fe, Mn, Cd, and Cr in the water samples of the studied aqueducts was 0.29±.01, 0.016±.003, 0.0059±.0001, 0.47±.0021, respectively. The results also showed that the average concentration of Cd in the samples of Adiantum capillus-vernis, Plantago lanceolata, Chara globularis, and Mentha Pulegium was 0.529±0.010, 0.0879±0.021, 0.0645±0.030, 0.717±0.011, respectively. The average values of pollution index (Cd) of Fe, Mn, Cd, and Cr in the ten counties were 1.02±0.03, 0.97±0.01, 4.375±0.02 ,0.34±0.004, respectively, which indicates that the water of the South Khorasan aqueducts is less than the risk threshold determined for these indicators in terms of contamination with these metals. Although the carcinogenic risk index (CR) for chromium and cadmium in adults and children is less than one, there is a possibility of cancer for residents in the long term.
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