Assessment of Selected Heavy Metals Uptake from Soil by Vegetation of Two Areas of District Attock, Pakistan

Abstract

The animal and plant health is usually associated with exposures to metals that cause toxic effects to these living organisms. According to an estimate by World Health Organization , a total of 3700 children die daily due to water borne diseases owing to various factors (pathogens and metals) 1 . As far as plants are concerned, they have been considered valuable to alleviate the heavy metals and pesticides from contaminated soils. Plants have been used in three mechanisms i.e., phytoextraction, rhizo-filtration and phyto-stabilization to eliminate and stabilize the metals from soil and water as well 2 . The metals are very important elements because these are part of food chain and act as essential nutrients. Trace metals on the other hand are essential when present in lower concentrations and are toxic when present in large concentrations above the permissible limits 3 . The bio-accumulation of metals may be as a consequence of continuous exposure and may cause diseases typical to heavy metals 4 .Soil, in larger perspective, acts as a sink and also as a source of pollution having inherent capacity to transfer

Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties and Metallic Contents in Vegetables Irrigated with Water from Different Sources

“…These results are found in accordance to the previous report from Bahawalpur Pakistan [19]. The similar reports was also recorded by Attock and Mardan [11,13]. The mean content of these metals in tube well water irrigated soil were recorded as 0.108, 0.004, 0.006, 0.180, 6.350, 16.272, 4.330 and 19.004 mgkg -1 respectively and are within the permissible limits.…”

“…The industrial watered vegetable has metal contents as 2.192, 0.046, 0.820, 0.626, 0.714, 2.466, 0.406 and 0.511 mgkg -1 respectively. These metals were found lower than safe limits except Pb, it crossed the safe limit in the current study and recorded these metals higher than safe limits [13]. The content of Pb may be increased by the incineration of waste material.…”

“…The mean content of these metals in tube well water irrigated soil were recorded as 0.108, 0.004, 0.006, 0.180, 6.350, 16.272, 4.330 and 19.004 mgkg -1 respectively and are within the permissible limits. All these values were lower than safe limits except Mn, but the other researcher found these results less than permissible limits [13,19]. The average values of physio-chemical parameters like pH, EC, SAR, Na, Ca 2+ Mg, HCO 3 -1…”

“…Plants use various ways including rhizo-filtration, phytoextraction and phyto-stabilization to eliminate the contaminants from the water and soil as well [12]. Heavy metals cause wilting of leaves, enzyme system inactivation, decrease the plant height, and affect photosynthesis and respiration [13]. The plants uptake the toxic metals via roots and it is transferred to human through food chain.…”

Wastewater Irrigation, Its Impact on Environment and Health Risk Assessment in Peri Urban Areas of Punjab Pakistan – A Review

“…In the research conducted in northern Punjab at Attock city, soil samples were collected from two specific areas which were selected for research and furthermore these areas were divided into three zones overall covering length of One (1) kilometer [23]. In total twelve (12) soil samples were collected at the soil depth of 15 cm from two study sites Khour company and Khour City.…”