The Assessment of Contamination in Irrigation Water and Soil and Its Effect on Crops in Muzaffargarh District

Abstract

Agriculture is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, causative significantly to GDP and providing livelihoods for much of the rural population. However, the sustainability of this sector is increasingly threatened by environmental contaminants, hefty metals like arsenic. Arsenic contagion in drinking water and soil poses serious risks to crop yields, food safety, and municipal health, especially in the Muzaffargarh district of Punjab, where groundwater is heavily used for irrigation. This research examines the extent of arsenic contamination in the Muzaffargarh district by analysing arsenic levels in groundwater, soil, and wheat crops, and assessing the related health risks. The study exposes that arsenic absorptions in groundwater across 18 sampled sites range from 17.3 µg/L to 294.0 µg/L, with an normal of 76.88 µg/L— far exceeding the “World Health Society’s” safe limit of 10 µg/L. Soil samples show arsenic levels between 18.65 mg/kg and 68.29 mg/kg, with an mean of 39.95 mg/kg, surpassing the 20 mg/kg agricultural safety threshold. In wheat plants, arsenic absorptions in roots range from 10.236 mg/kg to 34.46 mg/kg, while grains contain between 1.279 mg/kg and 18.16 mg/kg, indicating significant uptake of arsenic. The study employs bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biotranslocation factors to evaluate arsenic mobility within wheat plants, revealing substantial absorption by roots but limited translocation to aerial parts. Health risk assessments show alarmingly high hazard quotient values between 1672.9 and 9936.1, and carcinogenic risk values ranging from 0.7528 to 4.4713, highlighting significant public health risks for communities reliant on this polluted water for drinking and agriculture. The findings highlight the urgent need for mitigation policies, including the cultivation of arsenic-resistant crops, regular monitoring of soil and water quality, and public health interventions to reduce arsenic exposure, essential for ensuring food safety and sustaining agricultural productivity in the Muzaffargarh district.