Determination of some nutrients and heavy metals content of Egyptian wheat grains cultivated at the Nile Delta region

Abstract

The existence of heavy metals in the environment is one of the most significant environmental challenge due to the potential health risk for human and animal. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of wheat varieties genotype, type of soil, type of fertilization and type of irrigation water on specific heavy metals and nutritional elements content in wheat grains at Nile Delta region, Egypt during the years 2019-2020. Soil, irrigation water and wheat grain samples were collected from all the Nile Delta Governorates in Egypt (Dakahlia, Damietta, Monufia, Kafr Al-Sheikh and Gharbia).The chemical properties (PH, TDS, Chlorides, Sulfate and Total carbons) of soil and irrigation water samples were assessed and the level of specific heavy metals; Chromium(Cr), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), and specific nutritional elements; Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) were estimated in all collected samples using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry instrument (ICP-MS). The obtained results were Statistically analyzed using one or two ways ANOVA and mean compared was conducted using Duncan's LSD. The results that obtained indicated that the clay soil samples collected from the Nile Delta region when fertilized with urea during year 2019recoded higher concentrations than year 2020
of TDS, chlorides, sulfates, total carbons, Cr, Cd, Ni, Fe and Zn, except for the level of pH than other soil samples. On the other side the heavy metals content of wheat grains Gemmiza 11, Giza 11 and Giza 175 collected from the Nile Delta region specially at Kafr El-Sheikh and Damietta governorates during year 2019, which cultivated in the clay soils and fertilized with urea or nitrate gave higher
concentrations of Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb, Fe and Zn than year 2020.On the other hand, the Nile irrigation water, Nile and human sewage irrigation water, artesian irrigation water samples collected from Gharbia and Damietta governorates during year 2019 recoded higher concentrations of pH, chlorides, sulfates, total carbons, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb levels than year 2020. On contrast TDS, Fe and Zn at year 2020 for Nile irrigation water and artesian irrigation water collected from Kafr Al-Sheikh and Damietta recoded higher concentrations than other irrigation water samples. Thus, quality control of the concentrations of heavy metals in wheat grains, soils and irrigated water were very important to avoid the potential risk of health by treatment of wastewater source is important to limit its content of toxic heavy-metal.