The Mobility of Trace Metals from Soil to Plant in Irrigation Fields around Tummalapalle Uranium Mine in Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to assess the Bio-Concentration Factor (BCF) and Transformation Factor (TF) of trace metals from soil to plant in selected irrigation fields around Tummalapalle Uranium mining site, Pulivendula, YSR (Kadapa) district, A.P. Out of five irrigated fields, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) was cultivated in four sites and onion (Allium cepa) was cultivated in one site. The soil samples and plant samples including tomato fruits and onion bulbs were analyzed for trace metals using Inductive Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The soil samples were also subjected to the analyses of texture, pH, organic carbon, and electrical conductivity. The BCF and TF of K, P, Mg, B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, Tl, Zn, As, Cd and Pb from soils to different plant parts (root, stem, leaf and fruits) were calculated. BCF of Pb(172), Cu(85.45), K(47.78), P(14.05), Ca(5.55), B(10.86), Mg(2.92) and Zn(8.22) were found to be > 1, which reveals more accumulation of heavy metals like Pb, Cu and trace metals like K, P, Ca, B, Mg and Zn in plant parts. Recording of BCF of Fe (0.12), Mn(0.04) and Mo(0.14) as < 1 indicates , that these metal ions do not accumulate in the plants.

Mobility of trace elements underneath irrigated agricultural fields: implication of dryland soil and water quality along the Rio Grande Valley

“…With a growing population worldwide and increasing human activities, larger amounts of trace elements enter surface environments via anthropogenic cycles and contaminate water and soil resources (e.g., Olajire et Sharma et al, 2007;Lucho-Constantino et al, 2005), and be transported to groundwater and other water systems (Böhlke, 2002;Lucho-Constantino et al, 2005). Thus, high loadings of trace elements in agricultural settings are of major concern to human health in drinking water (Ayotte et al, 2011;Kumar Sharma et al, 2007;Lal, 2016;Reddy et al, 2017;Tay and Hayford, 2016). In addition, some toxic elements could reside in the soils and be taken up by crops, and consumed by humans (Huang et al, 2018;Komorowski and Szulc, 2017;Loska et al, 2004;Wong et al, 2007;Zimmerman and Weindorf, 2010).…”