Background: We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis on the concentration of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in carrots and potatoes irrigated by wastewater and estimate non-carcinogenic health risks among adult and children consumers.
Methods: The health risk of PHEs concentration, including Pb, Cd, total Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, and Fe, in the edible parts of carrot and potato irrigated by wastewater was investigated by a meta-analysis using a random-effects model (REM). Accordingly, the related articles were screened from international databases such as Scopus, Medline, and Embase.
Results: The meta-analysis of 32 papers (38 studies) revealed that the rank order of the most accumulated PHEs in potato was Fe (86.54 mg/kg wet weight) > Zn (30.9 mg/kg wet weight) > Cu (13.7 mg/kg wet weight) > Ni (8.42 mg/kg wet weight) > Pb (5.56 mg/kg wet weight) > Cr (3.45 mg/kg wet weight) > Cd (0.58 mg/kg wet weight). This ranking for carrot was Fe (43.36 mg/kg wet weight) > Zn (36.29 mg/kg wet weight) > Ni (13.49 mg/kg wet weight) > Cu (9.79 mg/kg wet weight) > Pb (1.84 mg/kg wet weight) > Cr (1.05 mg/kg wet weight) > Cd (0.28 mg/kg wet weight). Total hazard quotient (THQ) of PHEs was higher than 1 for potato and carrot; its rank order for potato and carrot was Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni > Fe > Zn > Cr and Cd > Pb > Cu > Ni > Fe > Zn > Cr, respectively. The Cd, Pb, and Cu had also a considerable role for consumer health risk.
Conclusion: According to the results, continuous monitor and control of wastewater treatment plants are necessary.

Background: Prolonged consumption of vegetables containing pesticide residues can pose a risk to the health of individuals over time.
Methods: This study aimed to retrieve the studies on the concentration of pesticides such as acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon in cucumber through a systematic review, and then, a meta-analysis focusing on specific subgroups. Finally, the hazard quotient (HQ) was used to assess the non-carcinogenic risk posed to consumers.
Results: The sequence of pesticides according to pooled (mean) concentration was acetamiprid (140.91 μg/kg) > diazinon (59.03 μg/kg) > chlorpyrifos (40.49 μg/kg). Also, the countries were sorted based on the pooled concentration of chlorpyrifos: Spain (180.00 μg/kg) > Egypt (124.90 μg/kg) > Kazakhstan (49.95 μg/kg) > Greece (20.50 μg/kg) > Saudi Arabia (20.00 μg/kg) > Jordan (3.54 μg/kg) > Iran (3.10 μg/kg). The order for diazinon and acetamiprid was Iran (43.20 μg/kg) > Saudi Arabia (33.00 μg/kg) > China (4.60 μg/kg) and Turkey (231.70 μg/kg) > Egypt (220 μg/kg) > Pakistan (100.00 μg/kg) > Kazakhstan (99.34 μg/kg), respectively.
Conclusion: The HQ of acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon was less than 1 for all countries; hence, the consumption of cucumbers containing these pesticides does not pose a non-carcinogenic risk.