Detection of Some Heavy Metals Due to Sewage

Abstract

The concentrations and transfer factor of some heavy metals including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) in some fruit and leaves of plants grown in the polluted soil of Um Al Nasser village were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The study showed a significant pollution of plants with some of the studied metals which exceeded in some cases the allowed values approved by WHO and FAO. The concentrations of copper, zinc, silver, lead and Inercury were in the range: 0-14, 5, 5.9-115.4, 0-1.8, 0-68.0 and 73-29.6 pug g", respectively. No significant amount of cadmium was detected. Transfer factor was varied amongst the plants and also amongst the species of the metals.