Sewage-irrigated crops in Saudi Arabia pose health risks from heavy metals.
Wastewater used to grow okra in Saudi Arabia can contaminate the soil and make people sick. The study looked at how heavy metals like cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc build up in the okra. The soil and okra were found to have high levels of these metals, which can be harmful to human health. The okra tested was not safe to eat because of the contamination from the water used to grow it. This shows that eating vegetables grown in contaminated soil can expose people to dangerous levels of heavy metals.