Received: December 2015, Accepted: January 2016Background: Soil pollution and accumulation of heavy metals in crops in industrial areas is one of the most important environmental issues threatening the life of plants, animals, and humans. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of Cr and Cd in the soil and barberry plants in farms surrounding the Qayen Cement Company, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study, 8 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm and 4 samples of barberry plant containing fruits and leaves in summer 2014. The concentrations of Cr and Cd in the samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Results:The maximum concentration of Cr and Cd was observed in the soil sample collected from a depth of 0-30 cm (95.10 and 1.32 mg/kg of soil, respectively). The concentration of Cr and Cd was higher in the fruits of barberry than the leaves; 18.58 mg/kg and 59.45 µg/kg, respectively, which are higher than the standard values. Transfer factor was calculated as less than 1 for all stations. Conclusions: According to obtained results, Qayen Cement Company has the greatest impact on plants in this region. The barberry fruit is the strategic product in Qayen; therefore, attention to and management of the impact of the cement factory on agricultural products is necessary.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.