ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN DIFFERENT PLANTS ON APPLICATION OF WASTE WATER

Abstract

Healthy seeds of Zea mays L., (maize), Helianthus annuus L., (sunflower), Phaseolus lunatus L., (lobia), Lens esculenta moenchL., (masoor), Capsicum annum L., (chili), Leucaena leucocephala L., (lucaena), Thespesia populnea L., (thespisia), Spinacia oleracea L., (spinach), and Abutilon mill L.,(abutilon) were collected and planted in pots with soil. Seeds were treated with seven different treatments including control. The study was carried out to find out the levels of six heavy metals including cadmium, cobalt, iron, manganese, lead and zinc in plants irrigated by waste water of Lyari and Malir rivers. The results indicated the presence of metals in plant tissues irrigated by industrial and sewerage waste water of Karachi. The ranges of different metals in plants grown control water and by waste water were 0 to 2.2ppm, 0 to 26.9ppm, 0 to 1289ppm, 0 to.198.45ppm, 0 to 22.9ppm and 0 to 124.9ppm for cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) respectively. The highest levels of Cd and Co were detected in Thespesia populnea when treated with Lyari industrial water and Lyari mix water respectively whereas Fe and Mn were highest in Phaseolus lunatus and Thespesia populnea under treatment of Lyari mix water and Lyari industrial waste water respectively. The contents of lead and zinc were highest in Capsicum annum and Zea mays when grown using Lyari mix and Lyari industrial respectively.