The present study is carried out in a major vegetable growing area of sub-urban Kolkata, India (a 33 year old dumpsite) to assess health risks due to the consumption of metal-laden vegetables. A total of 91 soil samples, 21 water samples, and 10 types of vegetables were analysed for six potentially toxic elements viz., copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni). Amounts of Cu (0.27 mgl⁻¹), Mn (0.63 mgl⁻¹), Pb (3.96 mgl⁻¹), Cd (0.27 mgl⁻¹) and Ni (0.42 mgl⁻¹) in waste-water and that of Zn (326.57 mgkg⁻¹), Pb (211.85 mgkg⁻¹) and Cd (4.69 mgkg⁻¹) in the soils of the studied area exceeded the safety limits. Type, quantity, and quality of deposited wastes and wastewater could be considered as influencing factors for varying distribution of such toxic metals in surface soils. Hierarchical cluster analyses indicated higher metal accumulation in leafy vegetables over fruit and root vegetables. Amaranthus and Sponge Gourd have been marked as the most and least contaminated vegetables, respectively in terms of collective mean hazard index (CMHI) and collective mean target cancer risk (CMTCR). Target hazard quotient (THQ) values for Pb, Cd, and cancer risk (CR) values for Pb, Cd, and Ni exceeded the safety limit of 1. Several fold higher CMHI (> 1) and CMTCR (> > 1.00E − 04) indicates severe health risks of the local population which was notably prominent in children compared to adults. The findings of the current study would serve as an effective tool for documentation of the current status and will help policymakers to take necessary measures for reducing the toxic metal pollution in the studied area.

本研究在印度加尔各答郊区的一个主要蔬菜种植区（一个已有 33 年历史的垃圾场）进行，以评估食用含金属蔬菜造成的健康风险。共分析了 91 个土壤样品、21 个水样和 10 种蔬菜的六种潜在有毒元素，即铜 (Cu)、锌 (Zn)、锰 (Mn)、铅 (Pb)、镉 (Cd)和镍 (Ni)。废水中Cu (0.27 mgl ^-1 )、Mn (0.63 mgl ^-1 )、Pb (3.96 mgl ^-1 )、Cd (0.27 mgl ^-1 )和Ni (0.42 mgl ^-1 )的含量以及Zn ( 326.57 mgkg ^-1 )、Pb (211.85 mgkg ^-1 ) 和 Cd (4.69 mgkg ^-1) 在研究区域的土壤中超过了安全限制。沉积废物和废水的类型、数量和质量可被视为影响这些有毒金属在表层土壤中分布的影响因素。层次聚类分析表明，叶类蔬菜中的金属积累高于水果和根类蔬菜。苋菜和丝瓜分别在集体平均危害指数（CMHI）和集体平均目标癌症风险（CMTCR）方面被标记为污染最多和最少的蔬菜。Pb、Cd 的目标危险商 (THQ) 值和 Pb、Cd 和 Ni 的癌症风险 (CR) 值超过了 1 的安全限值。 CMHI (> 1) 和 CMTCR (> > 1.00E − 04) 高几倍) 表示当地人口存在严重的健康风险，与成人相比，儿童的健康风险尤为突出。