Abstract
Dietary intake of contaminated crops with heavy metals causes serious human health risks. The current study focused on the atomic absorption analysis of Zn, Cu, Co, Pb, Mn, Fe, Cd, and Cr in the wheat grains and soil using pot experiment conducted in Sargodha, Pakistan. Results showed that the Zn concentration in wheat grains increased with continuous wastewater utilization. Except cadmium, mean concentration of other heavy metals was within permissible limits in the soil. A significant and positive correlation was also observed for Cu, Pb, and Cr between soil and crop. The application of wastewater for longer period of time caused enrichment factor and health risk index to be increased considerably suggesting that proper management is required for treating domestic wastewater to prevent potential health risks via dietary intake of crops contaminated with heavy metals.