Food chain risk assessment of cadmium accumulation and the relationships among diversely irrigated pasture-reared ruminants

Abstract

The contamination of various forage types with augmented concentrations of metal components carries substantial hygienic importance, as it functions as the principal pathway for the assimilation of these constituents into the food web. The purpose of this research was to explore the possible impacts on health hazards linked to cadmium contamination via diverse metrics within the food web, stemming from the ingestion of regularly consumed forages grown on polluted sites in the proximity of district Khushab, Pakistan. Specimens of water (n = 100), forages (n = 240), soil (n = 240), ruminant’s blood (n = 100) and milk (n = 100) were procured from two distinct locations; Chabeel (S_1) & Nalli Shumali (S_2) in the winter and summer of 2023-24, and were scrutinized for cadmium levels utilizing an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The average levels of cadmium ranged from 0.09 to 0.58 mg kg−1, 0.04–1.02 mg kg−1, 0.21-1.25mg L−1, 0.17–2.98 mg L−1, 0.68–4.68 mg L−1, 0.24–1.25 mg L−1, and 0.15–0.96 mg L−1 in soil, forages, water, cows’ blood, buffaloes’ blood, cows’ milk, and buffaloes’ milk, accordingly. Highly significantly perfect positive strong correlation was detected between the water of S_1 vs. soil of S_2 during the winter season. In animals, the maximum cadmium concentrations were appraised in blood, whereas minimum in milk. The following indices values; BCF, EF, Eri, HRI, and THQ were > 1 indicating health hazard consequences of cadmium for consumers during both seasons at both sites of study region. The assessment and continual monitoring of the concentrations of conceivably detrimental heavy metals and metalloids in diverse environmental constituents and the indigenous biota is of utmost significance. In the future, it is imperative to strongly support the consistent monitoring of noxious metal levels in the verdant expanse encircling polluted areas.