UFUMES SCHOLARS... The Nigerian Online Publishing Press
Assessing the Growth and Metal Accumulation Ability of Some Crops in Soils Polluted With Zinc salt.
Francis U. Umeoguaju* (2008)
Dept of Applied biochemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Awka. Nigeria. (Undergraduate Project work.)
Correspondence to: Umeoguaju Francis. ufumeoguaju@gmail.com, +2348067817864
Abstract
The ability of some selected plants to grow, tolerate and accumulate zinc in soil polluted with varying concentration of Zinc sulphate was investigated using Zea Mays, amaranths, pepper, Axonopus and Sida species of weed. The plants were grown in a 57.5, 287.5, 575 and 1150mg Zn /kg soil for a period of four weeks for the food crops and two weeks for the weeds. The results indicated that most of food crops were intolerant of zinc concentration above 287.5mg Zn /kg. Amaranthus bio-concentrated more zinc in its edible portion than the other plants considered. All the food crops investigated accumulated significantly below the maximum zinc tolerance for human health (20mg /kg) as recommended by the Chinese department of preventive medicine.(p> 0.05). In the weed group, the axonopus spp of weed tolerated up to 2300mg Zn /kg soil zinc pollution, this ability may be useful in the reclamation of soil heavily polluted with Zinc. Caution should be taken when growing amaranthus on soil with low extent of zinc pollution since it can accumulate a large amount of it in its shoot part over a longer period of time.
Hope we met your expectations . All we ask in return is that you tell some other Scholars about scholars.ufumes.com. You can also help us to serve you better. We are glad you visited. Thanks