DETERMINATION OF SELECTED HEAVY METALS IN SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L.)ALONG WITH IT'S SOIL OF PLANTATION AND ASSOCIATED HEALTH RISKS IN SANKA IRRIGATION FARMLAND, NORTH WOLLO ETHIOPIA

Heavy metals (HMs) pollution is among the leading health concerns all over the world. Because of their long-term cumulative effects; Consumption of food crops contaminated with heavy metals is a major food chain route for human exposure. In this study, the levels of heavy metals (Fe,Pb,Cr, Zn,Co, Ni, and Cd) in soil and commonly consumed sugarcane from Sanka farmland in northern Ethiopia have been determined by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES).The mean concentration of metals in soil samples(mgkg-1)were Fe(22975±5.520),Pb(101±3.820),Cr(129±4.160),Zn(120± 3.940),Co(3.750 ± 0.086) Ni (7.067± 0.104), Cd (14.740± 0.089), while that of sugarcane (mgL-1)were Fe (0.557 ±0.008) Pb (0.033 ±0.001),Cr(0.127±0.002),Zn (0.020 ±0.001),Co(0.036 ±0.002) Ni (0.026 ±0.004), Cd (0.022 ± 0.004). The transfer factors of heavy metals from soil to sugarcane were: 0.000, 0.013, 0.039, 0.006, 0.384, 0.147,and 0.059 for Fe, Pd, Cr, Zn, Co, Ni,and Cd respectively).Health Risk assessments of soil HMs to individuals exposed through non-dietary routes and consuming locally grown sugarcane (juice) were conducted. Results indicated that the ranking for risks of HM exposure was juice drinking > non-dietary oral intake > dermal contact > inhalation. For non-carcinogenic risks, Cr and Cd in sugarcane juice posed the most significant risks, whereas As and Pb posed the highest risks through non-dietary exposure routes. The cancer risks of Pb in sugarcane juice posed the most significant risks, whereas Ni posed the lowest risks through non-dietary exposure routes. The Target hazard quotient(THQs) of heavy metals by Oral (Fe > Cr >Pb> Zn > Co >Ni > Cd),Inhalation (Fe > Cr >Pd> Zn > Co > Cd > Ni), Derma (Fe> Cr>Pb> Zn > C> Ni> Cd) and Juice (Fe > Cr >Pb> Co > Cd > Ni) are determined but all heavy metals in the three non-dietary exposure routes and Juice were below unity(<1) and from the consumption of sugarcane juice and non-dietary exposure routes, Hazard Index of target metals were order as Cr>Cd>Fe>Zn>Pd>Ni>Co. The HI (the sum of individual metals THQ for each exposure route was found alarmingly less than unity (<1). So in this case there is no apparent health impact due to the metals considered. The study concluded that sugarcane grown on this farm is almost safe for human consumption in terms of the studied metals but, it is recommended that the level of heavy metals in the soil should be monitored to avoid unnecessary accumulation beyond the WHO safe limit.