Environmental contamination caused by various pollutants due to automobile emissions is an alarming
issue. One important type of the pollutants are heavy metals, including chromium (Cr) added by the
exhaust of toxic smoke of vehicles. These pollutants are added to forage crops cultivated near roadsides,
soil and irrigation water. However, rare studies have been conducted to infer Cr accumulation near heavy
automobile emission areas. This study was conducted to determine Cr concentration in irrigation water,
soil and forage. Water, forage and soil samples were collected from area impacted by heavy traffic.
Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to appraise Cr values in the collected samples.
Chromium values ranged from 0.50 to 1.14 mg/kg in water samples and from 0.04 to 2.23 mg/kg in soil
samples. It was highest in Zea mays grown soil, whereas minimum in Brassica campestris soil. The Cr values
in forages ranged from 0.09 to 1.06 mg/kg. Z. mays observed the highest Cr accumulation, whereas the
lowest Cr accrual was noted for B. campestris. The pollution load index (PLI) was the highest for Trifolium
alexandrinum, while the lowest for Z. mays. Bio-concentration factor (BCF) ranged from 0.14 to 8.63. The
highest BCF was noted for T. alexandrinum, while the lowest for Z. mays. The highest and the lowest daily
intake of metal (DIM) was noted for Z. mays at different sites. Health risk index (HRI) was highest for Z.
mays and lowest for B. campestris. The results add valuable information on heavy metal accumulation in
water, soil and forage samples near to automobile emission area.