Anthropogenic activities introduce heavy metals (HMs) into soils which can be absorbed by plants. We, in the present study, determined the concentration of four priority HMs (Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn) in orchard soils and edible fruits (sweet oranges and mangoes) grown along the arterial Mbale-Soroti Highway of Uganda. A total of 78 fruit samples were systematically obtained from the fruit trees at distances of 10 m, 100 m, 300 m and 5000 m from the Highway, along with 78 soil samples. They were analyzed for the HMs using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Health risks were assessed using the hazard index and incremental life cancer risk methods, while ecological risks were evaluated based on geoaccumulation and pollution indices. The mean metal total concentrations followed the order Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd, and were all within permissible limits. In the fruit and soil samples, the concentration ranges (mg/kg) were Cu (0.05 ± 0.01 - 1.81 ± 0.37 and 11.42 ± 3.00 - 30.85 ± 5.97), Zn (2.41 ± 2.18 - 8.11 ± 1.20 and 19.00 ± 1.30 - 40.03 ± 7.28), Pb (0.01 ± 0.00 - 0.06 ± 0.03, and 7.72 ± 1.05 - 21.00 ± 3.13) and Cd (<0.001, and <0.001 - 0.44 ± 0.21), respectively. The metal concentrations were higher in soils than fruits, and decreased with distance from the highway, with a strong soil-to-fruit transfer correlation. Health risk assessment revealed that mango pulp and orange juices had hazard indices less than 1 for all the samples, indicating no potential health risks at these proximities.
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