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Predicting non-carcinogenic hazard quotients of heavy metals in pepper (Capsicum annum L.) utilizing electromagnetic waves

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Abstract

Given the tendency of heavy metals to accumulate in soil and plants, the purpose of this study was to determine the contamination levels of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn on peppers (leaves and fruit) grown in contaminated soils in industrial centers. For this purpose, we measured the uptake of the four heavy metals by peppers grown in the heavy metal contaminated soils throughout the four growth stages: two-leaf, growth, flowering, and fruiting, and calculated various vegetation indices to evaluate the heavy metal contamination potentials. Electromagnetic waves were also applied for analyzing the responses of the target plants to various heavy metals. Based on the relevant spectral bands identified by principal component analysis (PCA) and random search methods, a regression method was then employed to determine the most optimal spectral bands for estimating the target hazard quotient (THQ). The THQ was found to be the highest in the plants contaminated by Pb (THQ = 62) and Zn (THQ = 5.07). The results of PCA and random search indicated that the spectra at the bands of b570, b650, and b760 for Pb, b400 and b1030 for Ni, b400 and b880 for Cd, and b560, b910, and b1050 for Zn were the most optimal spectra for assessing THQ. Therefore, in future studies, instead of examining the amount of heavy metals in plants by chemical analysis in the laboratory, the responses of the plants to the electromagnetic waves in the identified bands can be readily investigated in the field based on the established correlations.

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Abbreviations

BCF:

Bioconcentration Factors

DVI:

Differential Vegetation Index

EDI:

Estimated Daily Intake

EF:

Estimated Frequency

HI:

Hazard Index

IPVI:

Infrared Percentage Vegetation Index

NDVI:

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

OSAVI:

Optimized Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index

PCA:

Principal Component Analysis

SAVI:

Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index

THQ:

Target Hazard Quotient

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Shiraz University for funding this research (238726-141).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Range and Watershed Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71946-84471, Iran

    Marzieh Mokarram

  2. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71441-65186, Iran

    Hamid Reza Pourghasemi

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

    Huichun Zhang

Authors
  1. Marzieh Mokarram
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  2. Hamid Reza Pourghasemi
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  3. Huichun Zhang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Marzieh Mokarram or Huichun Zhang.

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Highlights

• There was significant absorption of heavy metals by the pepper in contaminated soils.

• The target hazard quotient (THQ) indices followed the order of Pb>Zn>>Cd ≈ Ni.

• Relationships exist between contaminated plants and electromagnetic wave.

• PCA and random search can select the main spectra and predict THQ for each element.

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Mokarram, M., Pourghasemi, H.R. & Zhang, H. Predicting non-carcinogenic hazard quotients of heavy metals in pepper (Capsicum annum L.) utilizing electromagnetic waves. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 14, 114 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1331-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1331-0

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