title: Heavy metals bioaccumulation in Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) cultivated in areas under intensive agriculture, Punjab, India.
abstract: Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) is one of the main fodder crops of Punjab, India. But due to the heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils by anthropogenic activities, there is rise in metal bioaccumulation in crops like Berseem. In addition to human influence, heavy metal contents in soil are highly dependent on soil characteristics also. Therefore a study was conducted in areas having intensive agricultural practices to analyze physico-chemical characteristics of soils under Berseem cultivation and heavy metal bioaccumulation in Berseem. The studied soils were alkaline, sandy in texture and low in soil organic matter. Among the studied heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Cd, Co and Pb) in soil and Berseem, Cr content in Berseem was found to be above maximum permissible limits. Soil to Berseem metal bioaccmulation factor (BAF) was above 1 for Cr, Cu, Cd and Co in many samples and highest BAF was found for Co (4.625). Hence it can be concluded that Berseem from studied areas was unsafe for animal consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India.
authors.forename: Sandip Singh
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India.
authors.forename: Vasudha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sambyal
authors.affiliation: Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India.
authors.forename: Avinash Kaur
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nagpal
keywords: Berseem; Bioaccumulation factor; Heavy metals; Maximum permissible limits