title: Allocation and source attribution of lead and cadmium in maize (Zea mays L.) impacted by smelting emissions.
abstract: Plants grown in contaminated areas may accumulate trace metals to a toxic level via their roots and/or leaves. In the present study, we investigated the distribution and sources of Pb and Cd in maize plants (Zea mays L.) grown in a typical zinc smelting impacted area of southwestern China. Results showed that the smelting activities caused significantly elevated concentrations of Pb and Cd in the surrounding soils and maize plants. Pb isotope data revealed that the foliar uptake of atmospheric Pb was the dominant pathway for Pb to the leaf and grain tissues of maize, while Pb in the stalk and root tissues was mainly derived from root uptake. The ratio of Pb to Cd concentrations in the plants indicated that Cd had a different behavior from Pb, with most Cd in the maize plants coming from the soil via root uptake.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Xinbin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yuangen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiangdong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Grace P Y
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Feili
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guangle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Taoze
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhiyou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008669:Metallurgy; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead