Effects of long-term banana cultivation on trace elements deposition in soil ecology

Abstract Nowadays, there is an emergent public concern about trace elements accumulation in surface soils of banana fields around the industrial area of Bangladesh. This work firstly assessed contamination of metal(loid)s (Cr, Cu, Ni, As, Zn Cd, Mn, Fe, and Pb,) in soils of banana fields, sources and ecological risks of trace elements using various indices, their bioaccumulation in banana plant tissues and probable health risk using chemometric approach. Soils and different tissues of banana (Musa spp.) were collected from long time cultivated banana fields around the industrial area and capital of old Pundranagar, Bangladesh and samples were measured by ICP-MS. Experimental data showed that concentrations range of Cr, Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, Pb, Fe, Mn and Zn in soil were 1.50–61.7, 2.42–87.4, 2.00-100.8, 0.25–31.2, 0.10–12.7, 0.60–91.8, 11330–23782, 8.69–105.9, and 7.50-125.9 mg/kg, respectively. Average level of trace elements in plant parts followed the descending order of roots > leaves > stems > fruits. As a whole, abundances of the examined trace metal(loid)s varied with elements species as well as samples, which occurred apparently due to the variations of parent materials of soil and the excessive use of agrochemicals and pesticides for banana cultivation. Trace elements in soils exhibited moderate to high degree of contamination where Cr, Pb, Zn, Cd and As in soils were mainly originated from anthropogenic activities. Considering health risks of measured metal(loid)s owing to the consumption of banana fruit, both non-cancer and cancer risks were perceived due to As contamination in the study area.