Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Herbal Plants from Areas Not Exposed to Heavy Anthropopressure

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of the study was to evaluate the content of Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb, Hg and Fe in sandy everlasting, yarrow and stinging nettle in relation to the concentration of metals in the soil. Samples of soils and plants were collected from natural habitats (edges of forests in the Kujawy-Pomerania Province). The total metal content and their available forms for plants in the soil samples were determined. The stinging nettle inhabited the richest environmental areas in which anthropogenic accumulation of metals in the surface of soils was determined. The investigated soils were not contaminated with heavy metals and the content of their plant-available forms was not harmful for a proper plants growth. The content of metals extracted with the diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid was considerably higher than the concentration referred to as the deficit level for plants. Among the analyzed herbal plants, sandy everlasting contained the largest amounts of copper, manganese, and only concentration of lead in dry weight was higher than 10 mg⋅kg -1 , indicating that the plants harvested from the study areas should not be used in herbal medicine. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) values point clearly to the mercury and zinc accumulation in the aboveground parts of herbal plants.

Hazard of Contamination with Heavy Metals in Thymus serpyllum L. Herbs from Rural Areas

“…However, as compared with the contents of the geochemical background of the soils in the region and the value of enrichment factor (EF), there was noted an average content of lead in the soil from location C, an average content of manganese in the soil from location B, and a considerable content of lead in the soil from two locations A and B (Table 5). Enrichment factor is a relatively simple and easy tool to assess the enrichment of elements in soils [58,75,76]. The content of Zn a , Cu a , Mn a and Fe a was location-specific.…”

“…The reports by other authors did not point to the presence of those metals in the parent material of the soils in the region. There was assayed a total Pb content due to the earlier results of herbal plants [23,58,59], pointing to a threat of the accumulation of that metal in plant material despite a relatively low total content in soil.…”

Anthropression as a Factor Affecting the Content of Heavy Metals in the Flowers of Sambucus nigra L.—A Medicinal Plant Affecting Human Health

“…The EF values indicate a small accumulation (minimum enrichment > 1.5) of Cu and Mn in the surface layer of the tested soils of locations 1 and 5 compared to the content of the geochemical background (Figure 2). The enrichment factor (EF) is used to assess the presence and intensity of anthropogenic contaminant deposition on the surface horizon of soils [38][39][40]. Values of enrichment factor (EF) for Zn, Cu, and Mn; sampling locations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7-explanations as in Table 1.…”

“…Percentage share of metals The EF values indicate a small accumulation (minimum enrichment > 1.5) of Cu and Mn in the surface layer of the tested soils of locations 1 and 5 compared to the content of the geochemical background (Figure 2). The enrichment factor (EF) is used to assess the presence and intensity of anthropogenic contaminant deposition on the surface horizon of soils [38][39][40]. The average metal content in the host rock was 42.4 mg•kg −1 for Zn, 4.97 mg•kg −1 for Cu, 183.8 mg•kg −1 for Mn, and 5.51 g kg −1 for Fe, constituting the geochemical background content of the region's soils (Table 5).…”