Seasonal Variations in Bioaccumulation and Translocation of Toxic Heavy Metals in the Dominant Vegetables of East Kolkata Wetlands: a Case Study with Suggestive Ecorestorative Strategies

In recent times, East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), a designated Ramsar site in the eastern part of megacity Kolkata, has been threatened by toxic heavy metal (HM) pollution. Besides being a natural wetland supporting biodiversity, EKW serves as a significant food basket for the city. For assessing the magnitude of HM pollution in this wetland, the three most cultivated food crops of EKW, namely Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd), Abelmoschus esculentus (ladies’ fingers), and Zea mays (maize), as well as the ambient soil samples, were collected during premonsoon, monsoon, and postmonsoon for 2 consecutive years (2016 and 2017). Predominant HMs like cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) were analyzed in the roots and edible parts of these plants, as well as in the ambient soil to evaluate the bioaccumulation factor (BF) and translocation factor (TF) of each HM in the three vegetables. It was observed that the HM content in the food crop species followed the order Z. mays > L. siceraria > A. esculentus. HMs accumulated in all three vegetables as per the order Pb > Cd > Cr > Hg. Monsoon seems to be threatening in terms of bioaccumulation and translocation of HMs as both BF and TF were highest in this season irrespective of the plant species. Hence it demands critical monitoring of HM pollution levels in this wetland and subsequent ecorestoration through distinctive plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)-assisted co-cultivation of these food crops with low-metal-accumulating, deep-rooted, high-biomass-yielding, and bioenergy-producing perennial grass species for minimizing HM intake.