Heavy Metal Contamination and Health RiskAssessment of Green Leafy Vegetables Irrigatedwith Municipal Wastewater in Gaziantep, Türkiye

Agricultural activities use around 70% of all freshwater, meaning water scarcity can limit food production and supply [1].Thus, it is a common practice to irrigate agricultural lands with municipal wastewater, especially in developing countries, in order to meet the increasing human population and food demand.Using wastewater treated for agricultural irrigation can reduce the need for fertilization [2].However, when wastewater is used for irrigation purposes, it can pose a problem for human health as it may contain heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), personal care products, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals [3].It has been reported that using fertilizers and pesticides, in addition to irrigation with wastewater, is the source of heavy metals in vegetables [4][5][6].Wastewater use raises heavy metal levels in receiving soils, and as a result, their