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HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION AND ACCUMULATION IN SOIL AND WILD PLANT SPECIES FROM INDUSTRIAL AREA OF ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

RIFFAT NASEEM MALIK¹, SYED ZAHOOR HUSAIN¹ AND ISHFAQ NAZIR¹

Abstract: This study was designed to assess total contents of 6 toxic metals viz., Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, and Cr in the soil and plant samples of 16 plant species collected from industrial zone of Islamabad, Pakistan. The concentration, transfer and accumulation of metals from soil to roots and shoots was evaluated in terms of Biological Concentration Factor (BCF), Translocation Factor (TF) and Bioaccumulation Coefficient (BAC). Total metal concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, and Cr in soils varied between 2.0-29.0, 61.9-172.6, 8.9 to 357.4, 7.3-24.7, 41.4-59.3, and 40.2-927.2 mg/kg. Total metal concentrations pattern in roots were: Cu>Cr>Zn>Ni>Pb>Co. Grasses showed relatively higher total Zn concentration. Accumulation of Cu was highest in shoots followed by Zn, Cr, Pb, Co and Ni. None of plant species were identified as hyperaccumulator; however, based on BCFs, TFs, and BACs values, most of the studied species have potential for phytostabilization and phytoextraction. Parthenium hysterophoirus L., and Amaranthus viridis L., is suggested for phytoextraction of Pb and Ni, whereas, Partulaca oleracea L., Brachiaria reptans (L.) Gard. & Hubb., Solanum nigrum L., and Xanthium stromarium L., for phytostabilization of soils contaminated with Pb and Cu.

¹Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.