title: Accumulation and translocation of heavy metals in soil and plants from fly ash contaminated area.
abstract: The present investigation deals with the accumulation of heavy metals in fields contaminated with fly ash from a thermal power plant and subsequent uptake in different parts of naturally grown plants. Results revealed that in the contaminated site, the mean level of all the metals (Cd, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn and Fe) in soil and different parts (root and shoots) of plant species were found to be significantly (p<0.01) higher than the uncontaminated site. The enrichment factor (EF) of these metals in contaminated soil was found to be in the sequence of Cd (2.33) > Fe (1.88) > Ni (1.58) > Pb (1.42) > Zn (1.31) > Mn (1.27) > Cr (1.11) > Cu (1.10). Whereas, enrichment factor of metals in root and shoot parts, were found to be in the order of Cd (7.56) > Fe (4.75) > Zn (2.79) > Ni (2.22) > Cu (1.69) > Mn (1.53) > Pb (1.31) > Cr (1.02) and Cd (6.06) approximately equal Fe (6.06) > Zn (2.65) > Ni (2.57) > Mn (2.19) > Cu (1.58) > Pb (1.37) > Cr (1.01) respectively. In contaminated site, translocation factor (TF) of metals from root to shoot was found to be in the order of Mn (1.38) > Fe (1.27) > Pb (1.03) > Ni (0.94) > Zn (0.85) > Cd (0.82) > Cr (0.73) and that of the metals Cd with Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe; Cr with Pb, Mn, Fe and Pb with Fe were found to be significantly correlated. The present findings provide us a clue for the selection of plant species, which show natural resistance against toxic metals and are efficient metal accumulators.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Monitoring Section, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow- 226 001, India.
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bhargava
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Barman
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon; D060729:Coal Ash; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D052638:Particulate Matter; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002244:Carbon