Heavy metals (HMs) cause serious health endpoints to humans when they enter the food supply through several pathways. Since wheat is the main agricultural product of Khuzestan province and the soil of this province can be contaminated with HMs (As, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, Co) due to its oil content, the research aimed to comprehensively monitor and evaluate the potential health risks due to the consumption of heavy metals in cultivated wheat in southwest Iran. A total of 24 wheat specimens have been gathered from 4 farms situated between the cities of Ahvaz. For the assessment of HMs in cultivated wheat, we used Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean levels of Arsenic (As) in Ahvaz were 0.028 ± 0.020 mg/kg. The average Lead (Pb) levels in wheat in Ahvaz were 0.23 ± 0.14 mg/kg. Based on the result, the average levels of wheat Copper (Cu) concentration were 4.72 ± 2 mg/kg in regions of Ahvaz. The levels of Zinc (Zn) in wheat samples in Ahvaz were 18.35 ± 5.84 mg/kg. Conforming to the classification by the US Environmental Protection Agency, this research revealed that the rate of non-carcinogenic risk was lower than the level of standard level. The Hazard Index (HI) was at level 3 (Medium) in the region of Ahvaz. Results of this investigation indicated that the average cancer-causing risk of eating wheat in the Ahvaz has been calculated to be 1 adult per 10,000 people for Cadmium (Cd), 2 adults per 10,000 individuals for Chromium (Cr), 1 adult per 10,000 individuals for Nickel (Ni), 2 adults per 10,000 individuals for As, and 2 adults per 10,000 individuals for Pb. According to the results of this study, eating wheat produced in Ahvaz can lead to an increased risk of cancer throughout the consumer's lifetime. Low chemical fertilizer use, wastewater restrictions in field irrigation, contemporary irrigation, farming techniques, and constant soil HM monitoring can reduce the health risks of HMs.
Haghighifard et al. (Mon,) studied this question.