Human health risk assessment of selected trace elements in water-soil-vegetables system in Lephalale, Limpopo province, South Africa.
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The contamination of environmental systems by trace elements is an increasing concern in regions affected by intensive industrial and agricultural activities. These contaminants can infiltrate agricultural systems via irrigation with polluted water, resulting in food chain transfer and potential adverse effects on human health. In this study, water, sediment, soil, and vegetable samples were collected from the Mokolo River system in Lephalale, South Africa, and analysed for trace element concentrations. Samples were prepared, digested, and quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). To ensure accuracy of the analytical method, standard reference materials (SRMs), including trace elements in natural water standard reference material (SRM 1640a), tomato leaves standard reference material (SRM 1573a), trace elements in soil standard reference material (SRM 2587), and standard reference material of soil (AMIS 0373), were analysed, yielding percentage recoveries within acceptable ranges. Concentrations of trace elements ranged from 0.00120 to 13.5 µg/L in water, 0.0169-157 µg/g in sediment, 0.0890-94.1 µg/g in soil, and 0.00420-54.7 µg/g in vegetable samples. Elevated concentrations of nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) were observed, frequently exceeding established international guideline limits. Evaluation of human health risk assessment (HHRA) showed that Target Health Quotient (THQ) and Hazard Index (HI) values exceeded 1 for both adult and children, suggesting possible non-carcinogenic risks arising from dietary exposure. The carcinogenic risk assessment revealed elevated values of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), particularly for Cr and Pb, with consistently higher estimated risk in children than adults. These results underscore the risk of trace elements accumulation in the agricultural systems and its potential implications for human health. Continuous monitoring and appropriate management strategies are therefore recommended to mitigate contamination and reduce exposure risks.