Evaluation of cancer risk index of cadmium, lead and nickel heavy metals in agricultural lands of some cities of Khuzestan province

This research was conducted with the aim of assessing the health risk and ecological risk of heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and nickel in agricultural lands of Khuzestan province in 2018.

Sampling of 3 farms in each city and 5 points with 3 replications was performed. A plot with dimensions of 10 × 10 m was considered in the field and four soil samples were taken from four corners of the plot and one sample from its center was taken from a depth of 0-030 cm and finally a composite sample was obtained.

The average amount of cadmium, nickel and lead in the soil of Baghmalek, Shavar and Shushtar counties was 5.04, 83.44 and 312.64 ppm, respectively. The mean values of cadmium and nickel in the soil of the studied farms were higher than the global average, but the lead in the soil of the study areas was lower than the global average. The ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil showed that the farms of Baghmalek and Shavor cities had a very high ecological risk and the city of Shushtar had a severe ecological risk.

According to the calculation of pollution indicators, the soil of Baghmalek, Shavor and Shushtar farms are contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and nickel and have a human origin. In this study, the risk index of heavy metals was less than 1, only in the case of lead metal in children the absorption by ingestion was higher than 1. The Metal Cancer Risk Index also showed that nickel metal has a carcinogenic potential for children.