Impact of Manganese, Nickel and Zinc Distribution from Lignite Fuels on Cultivated and Non- Cultivated Plants

Abstract

Manganese, nickel and zinc were determined in soils and 4 plants (2 cultivated: Brassica oleracea, Zea mays and 2 non cultivated: Rumex acetosa, Verbascum phlomoides) around the Coal Power Plant (CPP) - Agios Dimitrios, the largest CPP in Greece. In general, roots showed a higher metal content compared to the other over ground parts. This is more prominent in Brassica oleracea for all studied metals except zinc, where the highest zinc concentration is found in the sclerechyma (central vein) of the internal leaf. Thus, Brassica oleracea meets the objectives of phytoremediartion of lands contaminated by heavy metals. Periodically planting of Brassica oleracea could reduce the level of heavy metals in the area in order to clean up and prepare soils for other cultivations. The most contaminated leaves revealed a variation in epidermis roughness. In Verbascum phlomoides the multicellular, multilevel hairs on the leaf surface fixed a considerable number of air particles effectively. In contrast, the waxy cuticle of Rumex acetosa, enabled the fast rinsing of the air particles by rainwater and wind. The aim of the present study is also to highlight the differences in the ability of various plant organs or tissues to accumulate heavy metals, using cultivated (crops) and non-cultivated (native) plans found around the coal power plant. Pollution monitoring, especially by crops, may provide useful information for the design of monitoring networks that can facilitate the determination and intercomparison of metals around CPPs internationally.