Bioconcentration Factor Of Heavy Metals Research Articles

Toxic effects of atmospheric deposition in mining areas on wheat seedlings.

Storage and transportation of coal, as well as operation of coal-fired power plants, produce amounts of metallic exhaust that may lead to different atmospheric environment in the overlapped areas of farmland and coal resource (OAFCR) environment. To investigate the effects of different atmospheric environment in the OAFCR region (north of Xuzhou) on wheat seedlings (AK-58), a box experiment was conducted and compared to an area far from the OAFCR (south of Xuzhou). The study revealed that (1) compared to the southern suburb of Xuzhou, the fresh and dry weight, activities of photosynthetic enzymes and POD of wheat seedlings in the OAFCR reduced obviously. (2) Significantly higher levels of Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu were found in the shoots and roots of wheat seedlings in the OAFCR, with lower transfer factor for heavy metals (except Cd and As) in comparison to those in the southern suburb. And the bioconcentration factors of heavy metals (except As) in wheat seedlings in the OAFCR were significantly higher. (3) Nearly 90% of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Cr) absorbed by wheat were stored in cell walls and soluble fractions, with significantly higher contents of Cu and Cr in wheat seedlings' cell walls and higher contents of Pb, Zn, and Cd in soluble components found in the OAFCR. Our results showed that atmospheric deposition in the mining area has a certain toxic effect on wheat seedlings, and this study provides a theoretical basis for OAFCR crop toxicity management.

Accumulation characteristics and evaluation of heavy metals in soils and vegetables of plastic-covered sheds in typical red soil areas of China

The degree of pollution and potential ecological risk of heavy metals (HMs) in the soil of plastic-covered sheds in Jiangxi Province were evaluated by the Nemerow index and potential ecological risk index. The bioconcentration factor and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) were used to evaluate the enrichment ability and health risk of HMs in vegetables. The mean contents of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in soil were 5.99, 0.373, 17.8, 5.94E-02, and 28.9 mg kg–1, respectively; Cd exceeded the background value and the maximum limit. Most soils had no extremely strong ecological risk. The concentration of Pb in root veg-etables was 0.204 mg kg-1, with the highest concentration of Cd (0.147 mg kg–1) in Ganzhou leafy vegetables. The Hg concentration of leafy vegetables in Jiujiang was 1.41E-02 mg kg–1, which exceeded the maximum limit. The bioconcentration factor of HMs was negatively correlated with pH (P ≤ 0.05). The migration ability of Cd in root vegetables was 1.7-fold to that of leafy vegetables, and was strongest. The TTHQ of all vegetables was less than 1.0, which indicated that there was no significant noncarcinogenic risk in adults. The TTHQ of root vegetables was highest, with Pb in vegetables being major health risk factors. In conclusion, fruit and solanaceous vegetables may be more suitable for planting in plastic-covered shed than root and leafy vegetables; Cd and Pb were identified as the priority control metals under plastic-covered sheds in Jiangxi Province.

Stabilization of Soil Co-Contaminated with Mercury and Arsenic by Different Types of Biochar

Mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) are toxic and harmful heavy metals, with exceedance rates of 1.6% and 2.7%, respectively, in soils across China. Compared to soils contaminated with Hg or As alone, co-contaminated soils pose complex environmental risks and are difficult to remediate. Biochar is widely used as a soil amendment to adsorb and immobilize pollutants such as heavy metals. However, only a few studies have explored the efficiency of biochars produced from different crop straws to reduce the bioavailability of heavy metals in co-contaminated soils, and the effects on soil biological properties are often overlooked. The aim of this study was to investigate changes to the physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and heavy metal bioavailability of an industrial soil co-contaminated with Hg and As upon the addition of different biochars from reed, cassava, and rice straws (REB, CAB, and RIB, respectively). The soil was amended with 1% biochar and planted with spinach in pots for 30 days. RIB was more effective than REB and CAB in increasing the soil pH, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity. RIB and CAB exhibited similar positive effects on the soil dehydrogenase, catalase, invertase, and urease activities, which were higher than those of REB. The exchangeable fraction of both metals decreased upon biochar addition, and the residual fraction showed the opposite trend. All biochar amendments reduced the bioconcentration factors of heavy metals (especially Hg) in plants and decreased the metal bioavailability in soil. RIB is the optimal amendment for the stabilization of soil co-contaminated with Hg and As.

Comparison of bioconcentration factor of heavy metals between endemic fish and aquacultured fish in Maninjau Lake, West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract. Komala PS, Azhari RM, Hapsari FY, Edwin T, Ihsan T, Zulkarnaini, Harefa M. 2022. Comparison of bioconcentration factor of heavy metals between endemic fish and aquacultured fish in Maninjau Lake, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 4026-4032. Fish have a high risk of accumulating metals and poses a risk of entering human bodies through the food chain. This study aims to analyze the concentration of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) spatially and temporally as well as the Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) in endemic fish (Rasbora argyrotaenia) and aquacultured fish (Oreochromis niloticus) in Maninjau Lake and its relationship to environmental parameters (pH, DO and temperature). Sampling was conducted at domestic, hydropower, fish cage, and endemic fisheries. Spatial and temporal distribution using one-way ANOVA with 95% significance, while parameter correlation using linear regression. Almost all heavy metals in both fish samples exceeded the permissible level except in endemic fisheries sites. Metal concentrations in both fish species spatially showed a significant difference, while temporally showed no significant difference. Rasbora argyrotaenia showed a slightly higher BCF value than O.niloticus. The BCF values were low accumulative with order Pb>Hg>Cd ??in R. argyrotaenia and Pb>Cd>Hg for O. niloticus. There is a strong and positive correlation between temperature and the BCF value of both fish species for the three different metals. Monitoring fish by keeping metal content within acceptable limits is necessary. Further research on risk analysis of fish consumption in humans is recommended.

Heavy metal pollution and net greenhouse gas emissions in a rice-wheat rotation system as influenced by partial organic substitution

Substituting nitrogen fertilizer with organic manure is a common fertilization practice in farmland, but its potential effect on heavy metal pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains unclear. A three-year field experiment was conducted in the rice-wheat rotation system, with two different substitution ratios (25% and 50%) of sewage sludge compost (SS) and pig manure compost (PM). With the substitutions of SS and PM, the heavy metals, including Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were accumulated in the soil, but the pollution load index was <1 (0.39–0.66), indicating that soil was not polluted. Heavy metals Ni and Cu were mainly found in rice chaff, while Zn and Cd were accumulated in rice stalk, and the accumulation of Pb occurred in the leaf. For wheat, Ni, Cu, and Pb were accumulated in chaff, while grain and stalk had the highest concentrations of Zn and Cd, respectively. Moreover, the bioconcentration factor of heavy metals was 0–0.787, and their contents were below the standard limits for foods for rice and wheat in China, implying that the grains were unpolluted. Given the 5–8 fold increase in the sequestration rate of soil organic carbon with SS and PM substitutions, the annual net GHG emissions were reduced by 115–166%. Most importantly, 50% SS substitution exhibited the lowest net GHG emissions and highest rice and wheat yields. Overall, the results suggested that 50% SS substitution would be a feasible fertilization strategy that not only is unlikely to pose a high risk of soil and grain pollution but also significantly mitigates net GHG emissions and maintains high yields.

Bioaccumulation and Bioconcentration Factor of Heavy Metals in the Tissues of Freshwater Fish Channa punctatus Collected from Sawan Nallaha, Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Heavy metal pollution in aquatic environment has a significant adverse effect on fishes and also to the human being. The present investigation was designed to assess the concentrations of heavy metals in water and fish, Channa punctatus of Sawan Nallaha, a tributary of River Rapti in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The different water samples were collected from the Sawan Nallaha, downstream the city of Balrampur, and analyzed for the selected heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The concentration of heavy metals in Sawan Nallaha was below the permissible limit of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Heavy metal accumulation and bioconcentration factor were studied in gill, liver, kidney and muscles of fish, Channa punctatus inhabiting the Sawan Nallaha. The order of bioaccumulation of different metal concentrations in fish was: Ni &gt;Pb&gt;Mn&gt; Zn &gt; Cr &gt; Cu&gt;Cd and the order of total observed metal concentration in tissues was Liver&gt; Kidney&gt;Gill&gt; Muscles. The results of Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) showed that fish, Channa punctatus has the ability to accumulate heavy metals in its tissues. As illustrated in BCFs, most of the heavy metals moderately bioaccumulate except nickel and lead which are highly accumulative. The fish, Channa punctatus in this study was used as biomonitoring indicator

Heavy metals uptake and translocation of typical wetland plants and their ecological effects on the coastal soil of a contaminated bay in Northeast China

Heavy metal pollution in coastal zone is a global environment problem concerning the international society. As an eco-friendly and economical method, phytoremediation is a promising strategy for improving heavy metal pollution in coastal soil. In order to alleviate the ecological risk of heavy metal pollution in Jinzhou Bay, a typical and important heavy industrial area in China, three local wetland plants (Scirpus validus, Typha orientalis and Phragmites australis) were selected and planted in the field. The plants showed strong tolerance of high concentrations of heavy metals. Stressed by the heavy metals, the root weight of S. validus and P. australis increased 114.74% and 49.91%, respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, Hg) accumulated in the plant roots were 4–60 times higher than that in plant shoots. The SEM analysis found that abundant heavy metals were adhered to the root surface closely. Bioconcentration factor of heavy metals on the plant roots were 0.08–0.89 (except Cr, Ni), while the translocation factor from roots to above ground of plants were 0.02–0.27. Furthermore, the wetland plants improved the regional ecological environment quality. The concentrations of heavy metals in the rhizosphere soil decreased significantly. Compared with the bulk soil, the potential ecological risk index in the rhizosphere soil reduced 26.51%–69.14%. Moreover, the microbial diversity in rhizosphere soil increased significantly, and the abundances of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes also increased in rhizosphere soil. Pearson correlations indicated that Hg, As, Ni and Cr were negatively correlated with Proteobacteria (p < 0.05), and Cu was significantly negative correlated with Bacteroidetes (p < 0.05). The results support that using suitable local plants is a promising approach for repairing heavy metal contaminated costal soil, not only because it can improve the regional ecological environment quality, but also because it can enhance the landscape value of coastal zone.

Availability of heavy metals to cabbage grown in sewage sludge amended calcareous soils under greenhouse conditions

Compared to noncalcareous soils, data on the soil-to-plant transfer of heavy metals and their response to sewage sludge (SS) in calcareous soils with diverse properties are limited. Cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) transfer from soil to cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) under greenhouse conditions in 30 diverse soils amended with two types of sewage sludge (non-spiked and spiked with heavy metals) were investigated. Three transfer factors were calculated for heavy metals in three treated soils including control soils (CS), soils treated with non-spiked SS (NSS), and soils treated with spiked SS (PSS). The bio-concentration factor of heavy metals from soil to root (BCFRoots) in cabbage in three treatments was as follows: CS: Pb > Cu > Co > Zn > Ni; NSS: Pb > Co > Cu ≥ Zn > Ni; and PSS: Pb > Cd > Zn > Co > Cu > Ni. The same order was found for the bio-concentration factor of heavy metals from soil to shoots (BCFShoots) in PSS, and in CS and NSS treatments except that the position of Co, Cu, and Zn was changed. Based on the heavy metals translocation from plant roots to shoots, Cd, Cu, and Zn were the heavy metals that posed the highest risk due to the higher shoot content in all treatments, whereas Ni and Pb posed relatively lesser risk. Generally, the percentage of sand and silt in BCFRoots and BCFShoots was quite effective for Co, Ni, and Zn and it seems that soil texture is an important variable in heavy metals bioavailability. In conclusion, our findings highlight the significance of using SS to increase cabbage growth in soils contaminated with heavy metals. Furthermore, cabbage may be a good choice for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated calcareous soils in terms of soil remediation. Novelty statement In recent years, sewage sludge production has increased as well as related waste disposal strategies because of the increasing population and growing demand for agricultural products. Sewage sludge utilization as a low-cost fertilizer has spread in some parts of Iran and the world. On the other hand, unnecessary and unproductive use of sewage sludge results in the accumulation of heavy metals in soils, adding them to food and the potential risk to human health. Currently, work on the transfer of heavy metals from soil to plant after soil treated with sewage sludge has focused on the bioavailability of heavy metals using specific extractants. The assessment of the transfer of heavy metals from soil to different parts of plants using sewage sludge has been less studied. In this study, the transfer of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from several soils (30 soils samples) having diverse physical and chemical properties to the tissues of the cabbage plant in control soils, and two types of sewage sludge (nonspiked and spiked with heavy metals) were investigated. The novelty of this study is that the measured bio-concentration factor of heavy metals from soil to root and from soil to shoot and translocation of heavy metals from plant roots to shoots and correlations between these parameters and soil properties are reported for the first time in diverse calcareous soils.

A Comparative Study on the Capability of Tree Species in Urban Afforestation to Accumulate Heavy Metals

Background: The present study investigated the concentrations of lead, nickel, copper, zinc, their toxicity potential, and their ecological hazard in surface soils of Hamedan City, Iran. Also, using the Bio-concentration Factor (BCF), concentration Comprehensive Bio-concentration Index (CBCI), and Metal Accumulation Index (MAI), was evaluated the ability of some tree and shrub species to absorb heavy metals in soil and air. Methods: Sampling of leaves of nine tree species and shrubs (plane, acacia, elm, willow, mulberry, ash, redbud, pine, and cypress) was performed in six stations. After preparation and acid digestion of the samples, the concentrations of heavy metals were determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer. Results: The trend of changes in soil heavy Mean±SD metal concentrations was in the order of nickel&gt; zinc&gt; copper&gt; lead in the amounts of 61.41±11.34˃ 43.04±14.4˃ 42.87±8.36˃ 18.77±6.51 mg/kg. Evaluation of acute toxicity potential indicators and ecological risk of heavy metals indicated low soil pollution status. Findings of BCF, CBCI, and MAI ndices in the leaves of the species showed that the highest levels of BCF of heavy metals, i.e., zinc, copper, lead, and nickel, were in willow, elm, cypress, and pine species, respectively. Results show that heavy metal accumulation in different species. Conclusion: Depends on soil type, tree species, climatic conditions, type of pollutant source, species age, and other factors. In this study, elm and acacia have the highest ability to absorb heavy metals from soil and air.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals exposure via consumption of crops grown in phosphogypsum-contaminated soils.

The management of phosphogypsum (PG) heap, located south of the Sfax city in Tunisia, has been going on for decades. But dumping this solid waste still poses environmental problems. Even though valorized as amendment to agriculture soils, the sanitary impact of this practice is not seriously considered. To assess the risk of the transference of contaminants from PG to agricultural soil-plants food chain, a wild plant species Salicornia arabica grown in PG-contaminated field and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and oat (Avena sativa) grown in laboratory using different rates (10, 20 and 30%) of PG amendment, were tested. The cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, copper and zinc concentrations in soils and plants were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, respectively. Measurements showed that Ni, Cu and Pb levels in the amended soils were below international standards except for Cd and Cr which exceeded Chinese, FAO/WHO and European allowable standard limits. Gathered results showed that the more the PG rate increases, the more the bioconcentration factors of heavy metals increased in plants, particularly in the roots. This is a prospective study assuming direct or indirect exposure scenario of different human cohorts by consuming varied common food stuffs. The Human Exposure to Soil Pollutants evaluation and United State Environment Protection Agency models were adopted for the hazard quotient calculation to assess the acceptability of sanitary risk related to each metal. The direct and indirect health risk assessments varied in the decreasing order: children, adolescents and then adults. Therefore, the PG amendment must not exceed the rate of 10%.

Occurrence of heavy metal in water, soil, and plants in fields irrigated with industrial wastewater in Sabata town, Ethiopia.

Industrial wastes have been increasingly discharged into water and soil, and causing environmental pollution in Ethiopia. This study examined the occurrence of heavy metal in water, soil, and plants in fields irrigated with industrial wastewater in Sabata town, Ethiopia. The composite samples of soil, water, and vegetables were collected accordingly to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Ni) in each system during dry and wet seasons. The concentration of heavy metal was assayed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The heavy metal concentration was decreased in the order of Pb > Mn > Ni > Cu > Zn, Mn > Ni > Pb > Cu > Zn, and Ni > Pb > Mn > Cu > Zn in the water, soil, and vegetables in the area respectively. The variation of levels of heavy metal in the water, soil, and vegetable might be because of the effect of heavy metal speciation and valence, industry types, vegetable types and tissues, and soil. The bioconcentration factor of heavy metals was higher than that one for copper, signifying the increased probability of health risk for those who are consuming vegetables grown in the area. Thus, the government should take this into account and devise mitigation strategies through the implementation of heavy metal removal systems from contaminated water and soil, waste management strategies of recycling, centralized or decentralized treatment plant, changing of industrial residual into biogas production, and awareness creation for the society.

Prediction models for evaluating the heavy metal uptake by spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) from soil amended with sewage sludge

The risk evaluation of polluted soil requires the application of precise models to predict the heavy metal uptake by plants so possible human risks can be identified. Therefore, the present work was conducted to develop regression models for predicting the concentrations of heavy metals in spinach plants from their concentration in the soil by using the organic matter content and soil pH as co-factors. The soil improved with sewage sludge was slightly alkaline and had a relatively high organic matter content. Similar to the soil analysis, Fe had the highest median concentration, while Cd had the lowest concentration in the roots and leaves. Heavy metals accumulated in the roots and leaves in the order Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd. The bio-concentration factor of the investigated heavy metals, from soil to roots, did not exceed one. The spinach was recognized by a translocation factor <1.0 for all of the heavy metals except Zn. Plant heavy metal concentrations were positively correlated with the soil organic matter content and negatively correlated with soil pH. The leaf Cr, Fe and Zn and the root Cr, Fe, Pb and Zn concentrations were positively correlated with the respective soil heavy metals. In addition, a linear correlation was found between the bio-concentration factor of heavy metals and soil pH and organic matter content. Regression models with high model efficiency and coefficients of determination and low mean normalized average errors, which indicate the efficiency of the models, were produced for predicting the plant heavy metal contents by using the soil pH and organic matter content as co-factors.

Accumulation and bioavailability of heavy metals in a soil-wheat/maize system with long-term sewage sludge amendments

A long-term field experiment was carried out with a wheat-maize rotation system to investigate the accumulation and bioavailability of heavy metals in a calcareous soil at different rates of sewage sludge amendment. There are significant linear correlations between the contents of Hg, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd in soil and sewage sludge amendment rates. By increasing 1 ton of applied sludge per hectare per year in soil, the contents of Hg, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd in soil increased by 6.20, 619, 92.9, 49.2, and 0.500 µg kg–1, respectively. For Hg, sewage sludge could be safely applied to the soil for 18 years at an application rate of 7.5 t ha–1 before content exceeded the soil environmental quality standards in China (1 mg kg–1). The safe application period for Zn is 51 years and is even longer for other heavy metals (112 years for Cu, 224 years for Cd, and 902 years for Pb) at an application rate of 7.5 t ha–1 sewage sludge. The contents of Zn and Ni in wheat grains and Zn, Cu, and Cr in maize grains increased linearly with increasing sewage sludge amendment rates. The contents of Zn, Cr, and Ni in wheat straws and Zn, Cu, and As in maize straws were positively correlated with sewage sludge amendment rates, while the content of Cu in wheat straws and Cr in maize straws showed the opposite trend. The bioconcentration factors of the heavy metals in wheat and maize grains were found to be in the order of Zn>Cu>Cd>Hg>Cr=Ni>Pb>As. Furthermore, the bioconcentration factors of heavy metals in wheat were greater than those in maize, indicating that wheat is more sensitive than maize as an indicator plant. These results will be helpful in developing the critical loads for sewage sludge amendment in calcareous soils.

Uptake and accumulation of potentially toxic elements in colonized plant species around the world's largest antimony mine area, China.

To provide information on reclamation of multi-heavy metal polluted soils with conception of phytostabilization, a field survey on the uptake and accumulation of potentially toxic elements such as antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in colonized plant species around the world's largest antimony mine area, China, was conducted. Samples including leaves and shoots (including roots and stems) of colonized plants as well as rhizospheric soils were collected from eight sampling zones in the studied area. The results showed that the contents of Cu, Zn, and Pb in rhizospheric soils below plants were comparable to the corresponding background values of Hunan province, otherwise Sb, Cd, and As contents were extremely high (17-106, 17-87, and 3-7 times of the corresponding background values). The highest concentration of Sb was found in Aster subulatus (410mgkg-1); Cd, As, and Zn were in Herba bidentis bipinnatae (10.9, 264, and 265mgkg-1, respectively); and Cu was in Artemisia lavandulaefolia (27.1mgkg-1). It also exhibited that all the contents of As in leaves were several times of those in shoots of plants, Cd and other heavy metals showed in a similar pattern in several studied species, implying that the uptake route of these heavy metals via foliar might contribute to the accumulation. With high bioconcentration factors of heavy metals (more than 1, except for Zn), together with the growth abundance, Herba bidentis bipinnatae was considered as the most suitable colonized species for phytostabilization of the multi-heavy metal pollution in soils on this antimony mine area.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in freshwater snails in relation to lining of water courses in Egypt.

The present study was aimed to determine the heavy metal concentrations in whole body of fresh water snails in relation to lining of water courses in two governorates (Behaira (Nubaria) and Giza) Through four successive seasons from Septemper 2013, to October 2014. The obtained results indicated that the electrical conductivity (EC) and iron metal (Fe) showed the highest values and generally the physicochemical measurements indicated that no significant difference between the two tested habitats, however, the conductivity of water in lined water bodies was lower than those of unlined ones. The present study recorded 14 species of snails belonging to class Gastropoda; these species belonged to Pulmonate and Prosobranch snails. The density of all recorded Pulmonate snails in lined sites were lower than those in unlined ones. On the other hand, the abundance of Prosobranch snails was higher in numbers in the lined sites than those in the unlined. In Nubaria the most abundant snails were Melanoides tuberculata and Theodoxus niloticus and exhibited their maximum percentages in the lined (82.15%) and unlined (72.34%) sites during summer, respectively. While, in Giza Governorate Physa acuta snails had the highest percentages among collected snails approximately at all seasons, and exhibited its maximum percentages during spring in lined (90.22%) and unlined sites (85.38%). Correlations between physicochemical parameters and the collected snails, revealed that there were different negative or positive correlations depending on the sites of investigation. The bioconcentration factor of heavy metals in snail’s soft tissues at the investigated in lined and unlined sites compared to the content of the metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zinc) in the water showed high variation in BCF values depending on the type of metal and the snail. Generally P. acuta (7626.95μg.g-1 DW for Fe) and H. duryi (8787.10 μg.g-1 DW for Cu) were the highest snails of accumulated metal contents in the tested sites of the two surveyed governorates, respectively.

Bioaccumulations of heavy metals in submerged macrophytes in the mountain river Biała Lądecka (Poland, Sudety Mts.)

Abstract The study was conducted on the Biała Lądecka River which is a mountain river. It is similar to many European mountain rivers in terms of hydromorphology and catchment management. The aim of this study was to determine the bioconcentration factors of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn) in Ranunculus aquatile (L.) Dumort., Fontinalis antipyretica (L. ex Hedw.), and Lemanea fluviatilis (L.) C.Ag. The content of metals in water, sediment, and submerged plants was determined. The metal concentrations in plants can be arranged as follows: Hg &lt; Cd &lt; Cr &lt; Ni &lt; Cu &lt; Pb &lt;Zn. The highest concentrations of Hg, Ni, Cr, and Cu were observed in F. antipyretica, but the highest concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn were in R. aquatile. L. fluviatilis always contained the least amounts of heavy metals. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were lowest in L. fluviatilis and highest in F. antipyretica. Among the analyzed metals, plants accumulated the highest amount of Zn, and the least of Hg. The BCFs for Zn were from 24111 (in L. fluviatilis) to 97574 (in R. aquatile), and BCFs for Hg were from 29 (in L. fluviatilis) to 226 (in F. antipyretica).

Bioconcentration of Heavy Metals in high Density traffic area of Port Harcourt Metopolis, Nigeria

The Bioconcentration factor (BCF) of selected heavy metals in grasses growing along High Density Traffic Area (HDTA) and Low Density Traffic Area (LDTA) of Port Harcourt metropolis was ascertained. The results show BCF for Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA are significantly higher than their counterpart along LDTA even though the values of heavy metals in the soil along the LDTA are relatively higher than those along HDTA. This shows that aerial deposition or diffusion of these Heavy Metals from automobile exhaust and adsorption processes to the grasses along HDTA plays a major role in their Bioconcentration. The order of BCF of Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA (Cr > Cd = Co > Ni > Zn > Pb > Fe) and LDTA (Cr > Cd > Ni > Pb > Co > Zn > Fe) shows that Cr and Cd having highest BCF of 2.97 and 2.50 in grasses along HDTA and 0.68 and 0.67 in grasses along LDTA respectively, could be used to monitor their aerial deposition from automobile exhaust. Keywords : Heavy metal, Bioaccumulation, High Density Traffic Area, Low Density Traffic Area.

Seasonal determination of heavy metals in muscle, gill and liver tissues of Nile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus(Linnaeus, 1758) from the tributary of the Ganga River, India

Aquatic biota is contaminated with heavy metals as a result of anthropogenic activities and industrialization. Heavy metals, that is copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), were analysed in Oreochromis niloticus collected from the Gomti River at Lucknow and Jaunpur sites, India, from 2011 to 2012. Accumulation of heavy metals was estimated in different tissues of tilapia. At both study sites (Lucknow and Jaunpur), metal accumulation in different tissues of this fish was found to be in the following order: Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu in muscles, Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu in gills and Pb > Cr > Cu > Zn in liver. However, it was established that the level of heavy metals in all fish organs at the Lucknow site (except Pb and Zn in gills) was higher. The determined bioconcentration factor of heavy metals in different fish organs at the Lucknow site was as follows: Cu (26.5), Cr (38.33), Pb (52.33), Zn (23.41) in muscles, Cu (36.5), Cr (56.33), Pb (95.66) and Zn (31.66) in gills and Cu (381.50), Cr (367.33), Pb (410...

Bioconcentration Factors and Potential Human Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Cultivated Lentinus edodes in Chengdu, People's Republic of China

Lentinus edodes is one of the most popular edible mushrooms in the market. However, it contains heavy metals that are poisonous to humans even at trace concentrations. The concentrations and bioconcentration factors of five heavy metals in cultivated L. edodes in Chengdu were studied, and the potential health risks to local residents associated with the cultivated L. edodes consumption were evaluated. Total concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and mercury were determined in the fruiting bodies and the substrate from three agricultural areas. Fruiting bodies samples were collected at different growing times (2, 4, 6, and 8 days). The bioconcentration factors of heavy metals from the substrate to the fruiting bodies were estimated, and the potential health risks of local L. edodes were assessed. Because antioxidant enzymes can resist the creation of reactive oxygen species and defend against heavy metals, the activities of three antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase) in the fruiting bodies were also determined. A gradual change in heavy metal concentrations occurred across the growing time of the fruiting bodies. Cd transferred from the substrate to the fruiting bodies in larger concentrations than did Pb, Cr, and As. However, Chengdu residents were not exposed to significant health risks associated with consumption of local L. edodes. Nevertheless, more attention should be focused on children because of their higher sensitivity to metal pollutants.

Advantages and potential risks of municipal sewage sludge application to urban soil

The aim of this study was to evaluate some advantages and potential risks of application of sewage sludge from the Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant in Sokółka to urban soils. The sewage sludge used in the research was free of Salmonella and viable helminth ova—Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., Toxocara sp. The study also included the determination of concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil and in the aboveground parts of lawn grasses and selected physical and chemical properties of soils fertilized with different doses of sludge. The narrow ratio of carbon to nitrogen on test areas provides conditions for rapid decomposition of the organic matter and may cause a gradual release of metals into the soil solution, thus making them more available to the plants. The bioconcentration factor of heavy metals in the plants along the main streets of Białystok is characterized by considerable local variation. Based on these results, it was found that plants absorbed small amounts of Mn, Ni and Pb, while Zn, Cr, Cu and Cd were easily consumed, which may indicate their high mobility.