Pollution assessment and spatial distribution of roadside agricultural soils: a case study from India

Spatial distribution of heavy metal abundance at distance gradients of roadside agricultural soil from the busiest highway in Bangladesh: A multi-index integration approach

Bangladesh is currently experiencing significant infrastructural development in road networking system through the construction or reconstruction of multiple roads and highways. Consequently, there is a rise in traffic intensity on roads and highways, along with a significant contamination of adjacent agricultural soils with heavy metals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ecological risk, health risk and the abundance of seven heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, As, and Ni) in three distance gradients (0, 300, and 500 m) of agricultural soil along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The concentration of heavy metals was measured with an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) on a total of 36 soil samples that were taken from 12 different sampling sites. Based on the findings, Cd had a high contamination factor for all distance gradients, whereas Cr had a moderate contamination factor in 67% of the study areas. According to the Pollution Load Index (PLI), Cd, Cr, and Pb were the predominant pollutants. Principal component analysis (PCA) result shows these metals mainly came from anthropogenic sources. The considerable positive correlations between Cu-Pb, Cu-Cd, Pb-Cd, and Cr-Ni all pointed to shared anthropogenic origins. As per Potential Ecological Risk Assessment (PERI) analysis, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni each contribute significantly and pose a moderate threat. The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values for all pathways of exposure to Pb and Cr in soils were more than 1, which would pose a significant risk to human health in the following order: THQadult female > THQadult male > THQchildren. This study will help to evaluate the human health risk and develop a better understanding of the heavy metal abundance scenario in the agricultural fields adjacent to this highway.

Exogenous acetone O-(2-naphthylsulfonyl)oxime improves the adverse effects of excess copper by copper detoxification systems in maize

The current study is to elucidate the responses of maize seedlings to excess copper and acetone O-(2-naphthylsulfonyl)oxime (NS) pretreatment. The study was divided into the following experimental groups: 18 h distilled water (DW) control (C), 6 h 0.3 mM NS + then 12 h DW (NS), 6 h DW + then 12 h 1 mM CuSO4.5H2O (CuS), 0.3 mM NS for 6 h + then 1 mM CuSO4.5H2O (NS + CuS) for 12 h. When the NS + CuS group is compared with the CuS group; It accumulated 10% more copper, while the ABA, H2O2, MDA, and carotenoid contents decreased significantly, the total chlorophyll, proline, gallic acid, ascorbic acid, catechol, trans-P-qumaric acid, and cinnamic acid contents increased. While SOD activity, which is one of the antioxidant system enzymes, decreased with NS application, GPX, CAT, and APX activities increased despite copper stress. When all the findings are evaluated as a whole, exogenous NS, despite excessive copper, ameliorated the adverse effects of copper stress by increasing the effectiveness of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of the antioxidant system and the contents of phenolic substances. In addition, increasing the copper content by 10% reveals its importance in terms of NS phytoremediation.Abbreviation: Style-sheet: When full form and abbreviated form both are used as keywords, retain both as provided by the author.

Impact of physiochemical properties, microbes and biochar on bioavailability of toxic elements in the soil: a review

The pollution of toxic elements (TEs) in the ecosystem exhibits detrimental effects on the human health. In this paper, we debated remediation approaches for TEs polluted soils via immobilization methods employing numerous amendments with reverence to type of soil and metals, and amendment, immobilization competence, fundamental processes and field applicability. We argued the influence of pH, soil organic matter, textural properties, microbes, speciation and biochar on the bioavailability of TEs. All these properties of soil, microbes and biochar are imperative for effective and safe application of these methods in remediation of TEs contamination in the ecosystem. Further, the application of physiochemical properties, microbes and biochar as amendments has significant synergistic impacts not only on absorption of elements but also on diminution of toxic elements.

Identifying contamination of heavy metals in soils of Peruvian Amazon plain: use of multivariate statistical techniques

The Peruvian Amazon plain has abundant natural resources and is home to great biodiversity, which makes it an area with high economic potential. However, the use of its resources through various activities has contributed to the release of heavy metals (HMs) into its soils, generating severe pollution problems which have mainly affected the health of local populations and their ecosystems. Currently, there are no comprehensive studies that have identified the specific sources of contamination by HMs in the soils of this part of the Peruvian territory. In this sense, this research aims to identify the possible sources of contamination by HMs in the soils of the Peruvian Amazon plain to focus efforts on the establishment of adequate measures for the protection of the health of people and the ecosystem. In the present study, samples of topsoils (0-20 cm depth) and subsoils (100-150 cm depth) were collected for the analysis of 11 HMs (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Be, and Hg) in 48 sites located in four regions of the Peruvian Amazon plain (Loreto, Amazonas, San Martín, and Ucayali), over the year 2019. The enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index were applied to assess contamination levels of HMs. The results indicated that topsoils and subsoils presented a greater enrichment by the elements Be and Pb, and were classified as moderately contaminated. Likewise, the integral analysis of these indexes together with principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, correlation analysis, and coefficient of variation allowed the identification of potential sources of contamination by HMs. As a result, Fe, Co, Zn, Ni, V, and Cr were associated with natural or lithogenic sources (parent material, crude oil deposits, and organic matter decomposition). Hg was attributed to anthropogenic sources (illegal gold mining, atmospheric deposition, and vehicle emissions). Be, Pb, Cu, and Mn originated from natural sources (parent material, crude oil deposits, decomposition of organic matter, and forest fires) and anthropogenic (areas degraded by solid waste, illegal gold mining, agriculture, and hydrocarbons). These findings provide essential information to establish regulations and prevent and control HM contamination in soils of the Peruvian Amazon plain.

Spatial distribution and potential ecological risk of metal(loid)s in cultivated land from Xianjia Town in Fujian, Southeast China

Metal(loid)s in cultivated land become an important issue with respect to human health and food security. However, it remains challenging to identify metal(loid) pollution characteristics due to varying environmental settings at the local scale. In this study, the geographic information system and categorical regression model were applied to analyze the spatial distribution and influencing factors of metal(loid)s in cultivated land using 90 sampling sites in Xianjia Town, Southeast China. The pollution levels and ecological risks of five metal(loid)s-Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As-were further investigated using the single pollution index (PI), Nemerow comprehensive pollution index (PN), and potential ecological risk index (RI). The results indicate that the cultivated soils were affected by Cd and Pb pollution, with 3.06 and 6.30 times higher average concentrations than the soil environment background values (SEBV) of Fujian Province, respectively. Based on the CATREG model, crop type had a great impact on Pb and Hg contents. Cr contents were higher in rice fields, while Hg and As concentrations were higher in turmeric fields. Cr and Hg contents under five crop types did not exceed the SEBV of Fujian Province. The average Pb contents in rice fields were 1.25 and the Cd contents in vegetable fields 1.09 times higher than the average value in sampled soils. According to the RI, 63.66% of the sampling points were at medium to high risk. These findings enhance our understanding of the metal(loid)s pollution characteristics and their ecological risks in cultivated land at the local scale.

Evaluation of potential ecological risks in potential toxic elements contaminated agricultural soils: Correlations between soil contamination and polymetallic mining activity

Extensive mineral exploitation activities in history have aggravated potential toxic elements (PTEs) contamination in agricultural soils in China. Comprehensive ecological risk assessment is of great significance to orientate the restoration of contaminated soils, especially for those with high background values and multiple sources. The study area is located in the major rice producing area of China. Historically, there was a silver mine and a lead-zinc mine in the area, which were successively closed during the investigation. The intensive mining activities caused serious PTEs pollution in the agricultural soils around the mining area. In this study, five PTEs (As, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb) selected to assessed the potential of geoaccumulation index in assessing agricultural soil potential risk assessment by identifying ecological risk sources. 315 of soil samples collected in 2009, 2014, 2018 were comprehensively analyzed by single pollution index evaluation (single factor index, geoaccumulation index), comprehensive evaluation (Nemerow index, potential ecological risk index) and trend analysis. Single factor index analysis showed that geoaccumulation index considered the impact of natural diagenesis of background values and human activities on the environment, ensuring high evaluation accuracy comparing to other methods used in typical complex agricultural soils. The modified potential ecological risk index revealed that the high background area did not represent high risk area, which was consistent with the implementation effect of governance measures. This study can provide important insights for policymakers and environmental engineers to quantitatively recognize the soil pollution and the effectiveness of governance based on applicable and reasonable evaluation methods.

Appraisal of pollution of potentially toxic elements in different soils collected around the industrial area

It is imperative to understand the pollution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in different soils in order to determine the sustainable management approaches for soils. Potentially toxic elements (Fe, Mn, As, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Co and Cd) were determined in agricultural, non-agricultural and industrial soils of Punjab, India. The concentration of PTEs at industrial soils were highest followed by non-agricultural and agricultural soils. The percentage change recorded from agricultural to non-agricultural soils for PTEs were 3.19% for Fe, 25.3% for Mn, 63.8% for Cu, 13.5% for Cr, 49.8% for Pb, 79.6% for Ni, 35.8% for Co and 32% for Cd. From non-agricultural to industrial soils, the percentage change observed for PTEs were 89% for Zn, 2.03% for Fe, 21.9% for Mn, 68.2% Cu, 9.2% for Cr, 35.8% for Pb, 18.4% for Co, 30.4% for Cd and 43.4% for As. The results of contamination factor, enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, pollution and modified pollution indices also resulted severe contamination of Cd and As in all soil types. Ecological risk assessment results revealed that Cd exhibited very high risk in different soil types. The outcomes of this study will aid in forming approaches to decline the perils allied with PTEs in soils, and produce guidelines to save the environment from long term accrual of PTEs.

Soft Computing Techniques for Appraisal of Potentially Toxic Elements from Jalandhar (Punjab), India

The contamination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in agricultural soils is a serious concern around the globe, and modelling approaches is imperative in order to determine the possible hazards linked with PTEs. These techniques accurately assess the PTEs in soil, which play a pivotal role in eliminating the weaknesses in determining PTEs in soils. This paper aims to predict the concentration of Cu, Co and Pb using neural networks (NNs) based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) and boosted regression trees (BT). Statistical performance estimation factors were rummage-sale to measure the performance of developed models. Comparison of the coefficient of correlation and root mean squared error suggest that MLP-established models perform better than BT-based models for predicting the concentration of Cu and Pb, whereas BT models perform better than MLP established models at predicting the concentration of Co.

Appraisal of metallic pollution and ecological risks in agricultural soils of Alborz province, Iran, employing contamination indices and multivariate statistical analyses

The current study was done to evaluate the pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density, sand, silt, clay, available K and P, organic carbon, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe in agricultural soils of Alborz province, Iran. A total of 46 samples were collected as composite samples from 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil depths. The average values of Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn were found lower than the European limits, Indian limits, and Earth's crust. Pearson's correlation analysis found that pH effects Zn retention and, Cu and Mn retention in soil samples. Cluster analysis and Principal component analysis established that HMs are originated from different sources. Contamination factor (CF) and ecological risk index (RI) results showed less contamination and ecological risk in soil samples. Enrichment factor (EF) and modified ecological risk index (MRI) results indicated high enrichment and ecological risk of Cu, Mn, and Zn in surface and sub-surface soil samples.

Heavy metal phytoremediation potential of the roadside forage Chloris barbata Sw. (swollen windmill grass) and the risk assessment of the forage-cattle-human food system

This study presents the assessment of the risks incidental to the growth of the common tropical grass species Chloris barbata Sw. (swollen windmill grass) on road margins contaminated with Pb and Cd. Pot experiments were first carried out to quantify the Pb and Cd accumulation potential of the plant species in various plant parts as a function of the metal concentration in soil. C. barbata was found to be a hyperaccumulator for Cd (BCF>1, for aerial parts) and an excluder of Pb (BCF<1, for aerial parts). As the plant was found to accumulate Pb in its roots with TF<1, it can be considered a phytostabilizer of Pb. The mathematical relationship developed between soil concentrations of Pb and Cd and their corresponding concentrations in aerial parts were used in combination with the concentrations of these heavy metals reported in roadside soils to obtain estimates of their accumulation in the forage and consequently in the animal organs. Risk to the consumers of offal was estimated. It was found that the consumption of kidney meat was riskier than the consumption of liver meat. Furthermore, it was seen that despite the nearly two order less concentrations of Cd in roadside soils compared to Pb, it was posing a higher risk. For the median concentrations of Pb reported in roadside soils and cattle feeding exclusively on C. barbata growing on roadside soils, the HQ exceeded 1 for weekly consumption of kidney meat above 650 g. For median Cd concentrations, consumption of kidney meat above 230 g/week resulted in HQ>1. The scenario considered for risk assessment is significant for India, where stray grazing of cattle on road margins is common and offal offers a cheap source of animal protein for the economically poor.

Could acetone O-(4-chlorophenylsulfonyl)oxime be a copper chelating and antioxidative molecule on maize seedlings?

The main purpose of study is to determine if Acetone O- (4-chlorophenylsulfonyl) oxime (AO) has a positive effect on maize seedlings under copper (Cu) stress or not. Seedlings were allocated to following experimental groups: 18-hour distilled water (DW) Control (C), ago 6-hour 0.66 mM AO + later 12-hour DW (AO), ago 6-hour DW + later 12-hour 1 mM Cu (Cu), ago 6-hour 0.66 mM AO + later 12-hour 1 mM Cu (AO + Cu). The results showed that AO + Cu caused approximately three times more copper accumulation compared to Cu treatment. AO and AO + Cu treatments significantly decreased membrane damage and H₂O₂ formation compared to its control. The proline content was significantly increased in AO and AO + Cu compared to its control. While the highest catalase, Guaiacol Peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity was observed in Cu application, the highest ascorbate peroxidase activity was determined in AO application. It was observed that AO had a protective effect on chlorophyll content and RWC, but a positive effect on carotenoid content could not be determined. In addition, the effects of AO on the content of 17 phenolic substances in maize leaves were determined. In the light of the current findings, AO may prevent the formation of radical compounds.

Health assessment of medicinal herbs, celery and parsley related to cadmium soil pollution-potentially toxic elements (PTEs) accumulation, tolerance capacity and antioxidative response

Celery and parsley are recognized as medicinal herbs and nutraceutical vegetables due to their valuable pharmacological properties and numerous health benefits. However, in recent years, soil loadings with various PTEs have become a serious concern across the world, leading to plants pollution, which can consequently diminish their quality and safety for human consumption. Therefore, we attempted to quantify quality and safety of celery and parsley grown in Cd polluted soil. We examined the presence of PTEs: As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu and Cd in soil and selected herbs, as well as their physiological responses to different Cd exposures (control-without Cd addition, 3 and 6 µg/g Cd of dry soil). Following elevation of Cd in plants, both species showed increasing trend of As, Pb and Cu in plants, which overcome safe limits, with exception for Cu. Further, celery showed strong phytoextraction ability (99.9 µg/g Cd of dry weight) with high potential to tolerate Cd due to the efficient antioxidative machinery. Besides that herbs pollution was evident on the basis of target hazard quotients (HQ), hazard index (HI) and cancerogenic risk (CR), revealing that chronic consumption of contaminated herbs can consequently endanger human health. HI was greater than 1, while CR exceeded safe limits in treated plants, with exception for As. In the point of view of toxicology and food safety, growing of medicinal plants should be strictly regulated and distinguished based on the purpose of growing, and further herbs usage.

Ecological risk assessment and source apportionment of heavy metals contamination: an appraisal based on the Tellus soil survey

It is imperative to comprehend the level and spatial distribution of soil pollution with heavy metals to find sustainable management approaches for affected soils. Selected heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, As, Co, and Cd) and physiochemical parameters were appraised for 620 samples from industrial, agricultural and urban sites in Northern Ireland using the Tellus database. The findings of this study showed that among the analyzed heavy metals, Mn content was the highest and Cd content the lowest. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that heavy metals were highly correlated with each other, signifying similar sources for the heavy metals. Mixed factors (anthropogenic and lithogenic) were responsible for the contribution of heavy metals as revealed by multivariate statistical analysis. The results of contamination factor and enrichment factor analyses suggest that As, Cd, and Pb showed very high risk for pollution in the study area. The geoaccumulation index revealed that with the exception of Cd, all analyzed heavy metals showed severe accumulation in the soils. The potential and modified ecological risk indices inferred that Cd, As, and Pb represented ecological threats in the soils of Northern Ireland. The findings of this study will aid in forming approaches to decrease the risks associated with heavy metals in industrial, urban and agricultural soils, and help create guidelines to protect the environment from long-term accumulation of heavy metals.

Spatial distribution and risk assessment of agricultural soil pollution by hazardous elements in a transboundary river basin

The present study aimed to evaluate the sources of pollution and the potential human and ecological risks of hazardous elements (HEs) in 40 hotspot sites of the agricultural soil around the Arvand River, Iran. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg were measured to be 7.2, 0.8, 14.0, 67.9, 69.5, 63.0, 296, and 0.66 (mg kg^-1), respectively. With the exception of Ni, the mean concentrations of all the elements were found to be higher than those in the background. The spatial distribution of HEs in the study area indicated an increasing trend of contamination from the north to the south. Pb, Zn, and Hg were the most enriched elements, resulting in a high pollution load. Moreover, the agricultural soil of the study area was threatened by a very high ecological risk due to the contribution of Hg, Cd, and Pb. Multivariate statistical analyses determined that the pollution sources are specified by the oil refinery emissions and effluents, irrigation with polluted water, fertilizers, dust storms, and airport emissions. The carcinogenic risk of HEs in both adults and children revealed an acceptable level; however, children faced a great chance of non-carcinogenic risk. The results provide a scientific basis for monitoring HEs and managing health risks via effective methods in the agricultural areas of the Arvand River basin.

Copper bioavailability, uptake, toxicity and tolerance in plants: A comprehensive review

Copper (Cu) is an essential element for humans and plants when present in lesser amount, while in excessive amounts it exerts detrimental effects. There subsists a narrow difference amid the indispensable, positive and detrimental concentration of Cu in living system, which substantially alters with Cu speciation, and form of living organisms. Consequently, it is vital to monitor its bioavailability, speciation, exposure levels and routes in the living organisms. The ingestion of Cu-laced food crops is the key source of this heavy metal toxicity in humans. Hence, it is necessary to appraise the biogeochemical behaviour of Cu in soil-plant system with esteem to their quantity and speciation. On the basis of existing research, this appraisal traces a probable connexion midst: Cu levels, sources, chemistry, speciation and bioavailability in the soil. Besides, the functions of protein transporters in soil-plant Cu transport, and the detrimental effect of Cu on morphological, physiological and nutrient uptake in plants has also been discussed in the current manuscript. Mechanisms related to detoxification strategies like antioxidative response and generation of glutathione and phytochelatins to combat Cu-induced toxicity in plants is discussed as well. We also delimits the Cu accretion in food crops and allied health perils from soils encompassing less or high Cu quantity. Finally, an overview of various techniques involved in the reclamation and restoration of Cu-contaminated soils has been provided.

Phytoavailability and human risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and food crops around Sutlej river, India

We assessed the phytoavailability of heavy metals in wheat and rice grown on soils along flood plains of Sutlej river (India) and its effects on human health. Surface soil samples along with wheat (pre-monsoon season) and rice (post-monsoon season) grain samples were collected during the years 2017 and 2018. Soil samples were analysed for total and DTPA-extractable metals and, wheat and rice grains samples for total metals. There were no significant (p < 0.05) changes in total metal concentration during both the years, but the concentration of DTPA-extractable metals was higher during pre-monsoon than post-monsoon season. The concentration of Pb, Cd, and Co in wheat grains, whereas the concentration of Cr, Co, Pb and Cd in rice grains surpassed their safe limits. Both DTPA-extractable metals (water soluble plus exchangeable) and non-exchangeable fractions explained more than 80% of the variations in metal uptake by plants. The bioaccumulation factor for DTPA-extractable metals (BCF) was above one, but Pollution Load Index for these metals (PLI) was less than one. The carcinogenic risks due to ingestion of wheat and rice grains were higher for Cd. The BAF, PLI and health risks were higher along transboundary of the river. These results suggest that exchangeable and non-exchangeable fractions are contributing towards metals uptake by wheat and rice along flood plain soils of the Sutlej river and the present study may act as a model for carrying out similar studies to find out the risks of heavy metals and it effect on human health in future.

Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Groundwater of Industrial Township Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India

The present investigation deals with the health risk assessment due to the heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Mn, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in groundwater in the industrial township of Virudhunagar district. Twenty groundwater samples were collected, and the measured concentration of the heavy metals follows the order Pb > Ni > Zn > Co > Cr > Cd > Cu > Mn. The metal pollution indices (heavy metal evaluation index, Heavy metal pollution index, degree of contamination) were calculated using the measured heavy metal concentrations. The samples collected nearer to the industrial zone have elevated concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Ni. The carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks were calculated based on the measured heavy metals concentration and average daily intake of water. The calculated carcinogenic risk values (5.66 × 10^-3-1.56 × 10^-2) (Pb, Cd, and Ni) exceed the acceptable limit of 10^-6-10^-4. The noncarcinogenic risk exceeds the acceptable limit of one for the heavy metals Pb and Cr. The higher carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risk values reveal that the study area has health risks due to Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr metals. Furthermore, factor analysis and cluster analysis showed that the industrial impact and wastage dumpsites are the prime sources for heavy metal contamination in groundwater of the study area.

Improved Mapping of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil via Integration of Multiple Data Sources and Various Geostatistical Methods

Soil pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a core issue around the world. Knowledge of the spatial distribution of PTEs in soil is crucial for soil remediation. Portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (p-XRF) provides a cost-saving alternative to the traditional laboratory analysis of soil PTEs. In this study, we collected 293 soil samples from Fuyang County in Southeast China. Subsequently, we used several geostatistical methods, such as inverse distance weighting (IDW), ordinary kriging (OK), and empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK), to estimate the spatial variability of soil PTEs measured by the laboratory and p-XRF methods. The final maps of soil PTEs were outputted by the model averaging method, which combines multiple maps previously created by IDW, OK, and EBK, using both lab and p-XRF data. The study results revealed that the mean PTE content measured by the laboratory methods was as follows: Zn (127.43 mg kg−1) > Cu (31.34 mg kg−1) > Ni (20.79 mg kg−1) > As (10.65 mg kg−1) > Cd (0.33 mg kg−1). p-XRF measurements showed a spatial prediction accuracy of soil PTEs similar to that of laboratory analysis measurements. The spatial prediction accuracy of different PTEs outputted by the model averaging method was as follows: Zn (R2 = 0.71) > Cd (R2 = 0.68) > Ni (R2 = 0.67) > Cu (R2 = 0.62) > As (R2 = 0.50). The prediction accuracy of the model averaging method for five PTEs studied herein was improved compared with that of the laboratory and p-XRF methods, which utilized individual geostatistical methods (e.g., IDW, OK, EBK). Our results proved that p-XRF was a reliable alternative to the traditional laboratory analysis methods for mapping soil PTEs. The model averaging approach improved the prediction accuracy of the soil PTE spatial distribution and reduced the time and cost of monitoring and mapping PTE soil contamination.

Elemental analysis of the edible fruit of Carpobrotus dimidiatus (from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa) and the influence of soil quality on its elemental uptake

Carpobrotus dimidiatus is an indigenous South African medicinal plant species from the Aizoaceae family that bears edible fruit that is consumed for nutritional value. In this study, the elemental distribution in C. dimidiatus fruit and growth soil from fifteen sites in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) was determined along with soil pH, soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity, to assess for nutritional value and the effect of soil quality on elemental uptake. The results showed elemental concentrations in fruit to be in decreasing order of Ca (6235-32755 mg kg^-1) > Mg (2250-5262 mg kg^-1) > Fe > Mn > Zn (20.9-50.6 mg kg^-1) > Cu (3.83-20.6 mg kg^-1) > Pb > Cr > Cd > As ∼ Co ∼ Ni ∼ Se and no potential health risk due to metal toxicity from average consumption. For sites that had high levels of Cd and Pb, bioaccumulation occurred from atmospheric deposition. Concentrations of elements in soil were found to be in decreasing order of Fe (1059-63747 mg kg^-1) > Ca (1048-41475 mg kg^-1) > Mg > Mn (9.76-174 mg kg^-1) > Cr (1.55-135 mg kg^-1) > Zn (0.76-58.2 mg kg^-1) > Se > Cu > Ni > Pb > Co > As ∼ Cd with no evidence of heavy metal contamination. This study revealed that the plant inherently controlled uptake of essential elements according to physiological needs and that the concentrations of essential elements in the fruit could contribute positively to the diet.