Aquatic sources of heavy metal pollution and its effect on vegetation
Heavy metals are widespread pollutants of great environmental concern as they are non- degradable and thus persistent. It is well perceived that there is a permissible limit of each metal, above which they are generally toxic and some are even hazardous. The water chemistry of the system controls the rate of adsorption and desorption of metals to and from sediment. They pose serious risk to the ecosystem and human health as they are not degradable and find their way in food chain through number of pathways and may accumulate in different organs of human beings or animals and thus are an issue of global concern. The present objective was undertaken to examine heavy metal retention behaviour in soil and bioaccumulation pattern of metals among various leafy vegetables that leads to evaluate the suitability for public consumption. Samples were collected from flood plain area of river Yamuna, Delhi, India. Composite samples were taken for water analysis whereas soil samples were taken randomly from the surface area of the cultivated flood plains site using core cutter. Leafy vegetable samples (Spinacia oleracea, Amaranthus gracilis and Glycine max) were collected from the same area. Quantification of heavy metal concentration in water, soil and plant samples were carried out and compared with the reported heavy metal concentration data analyzed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB- a pollution monitoring authority of government of India) during last 5 years period. Physico-chemical parameters of water and soil samples were analyzed according to the Standard Methods (APHA, 1998). The heavy metal concen trations in water, soil and leafy vegetable samples were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The level of metals reported in the present study at Yamuna flood plain area indicates that the concentrations of Fe and Cu were high in water samples. In case of various leafy vegetables, Fe was dominantly higher followed by Cu, and Cr. The magnitude of metal contamination in the present study is quite high and it is not in the stipulated WHO guideline values prescribed for human consumption. So, this issue has to be looked at with concern.
Heavy metals river soil pollution bioaccumulation vegetation
M. Singh L. Singh C. Ghosh
Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), School of Environmental Studies, Centre for Inter-Disciplinary Studies of Mountain and Hill Environment, School of Environmental Stud
国际会议
第九届痕量元素生物地球化学国际会议(9th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements)
北京
英文
120-121
2007-07-15（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）