<p class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;\">Ever increasing population, urbanization and industrialization<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; </span>have led to generation and indiscriminate discharge of large volume of water from domestic, commercial, industrial uses from natural water sources make them unfit for human usage. The use of sewage water for irrigation is a matter of major concern due to the presence of toxic metals and other pollutants, which ultimately contaminate the soil. Unscientific management<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; </span>practices of pollutants lead to ecological Imbalance. The present study was carried out to assess the different levels of heavy metals like Iron, manganese, Copper, Zinc and Nickel in vegetables / crops irrigated with waste water from different sources. The results indicated substantial<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; </span>build up of heavy metals in vegetables / crops irrigated with sewage. The range of various metals in sewage irrigated plants<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; </span>was 116-378, 52-188, 6.1-28.9, 48-92, 8.3-30 &micro;g/gm for iron, manganese, copper, zinc and nickel respectively. The highest mean levels of iron and manganese were detected in mint and spinach whereas<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; </span>the highest levels of copper and zinc were highest in carrot. The values of these metals were below the recommended maximum tolerable levels proposed by the FAO / WHO. However, the regular monitoring of levels of these metals from the sewage in vegetables and in other food materials is essential to prevent excessive buildup of these heavy metals in the food chain.</span></p>
<p class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 6pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\"><strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Key words:</strong> Heavy metals, Sewage, Accumulation, Toxicity, Health </span></span></p>