title: Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves as biomonitors of atmospheric metal pollution in arid and semi-arid environments.
abstract: The leaves of date palms were evaluated as a possible biomonitor of heavy metal contamination in Ma'an city, Jordan. Concentrations of (Fe), (Pb), (Zn), (Cu), (Ni), and (Cr) were determined in washed and unwashed leaves and soil samples collected from different sites with different degrees of metal contamination (urban, suburban, industrial, highway and rural sites); separate leaves were taken from outside the city to be used as a control sample. Samples collected from industrial sites were found to have high concentrations of all metals except those of Cu, Ni and Pb, which were found at high levels in the highway site samples which is associated with the road traffic. The difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that metal pollutants exist as contaminants, particularly Pb, Zn and Ni, which varied in concentration, depending on the source of the metal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an-Jordan, Jordan. omarkhashman@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Omar Ali
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Al-Khashman
authors.forename: Ala'a H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al-Muhtaseb
authors.forename: Khalid A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D028023:Arecaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D001336:Automobiles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001335:Vehicle Emissions