Pollution Assessment Using Soil and Plant Leaves in Faisalabad, Pakistan

Soil has the ability to serve as a universal sink, meaning it may absorb contaminants from the environment. Additionally, plant leaves can also be used as indicators of environmental contamination. In our study, the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was used to assess metal accumulation in the soil and leaves of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) in Faisalabad, Pakistan. We analyzed the primary physical and chemical characteristics of the surface layer of soil in urban, suburban, and rural areas along an urbanization gradient. The ICP-OES technique was used to analyze the following elements: Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn. The highest concentration of all elements was found in soil samples from urban areas, with an increasing tendency along with the urbanization gradient. A significant difference was found along the urbanization gradient on the plant leaves except for Cd, Cu, and Zn; a high level of pollution was measured for Ba, Pb, Co, Ni, Cr, and Cd in the urban area. We also calculated the bioaccumulation factor (BAF), but no clear pattern was found. Our findings show that high concentrations in soil do not always turn into higher plant uptake for plants. Our findings suggest that traffic and industrial emissions are likely the main cause of the metals in Faisalabad, because their concentration is higher than their background concentration. Our results also suggest that elemental analysis of soil and plant leaves is an appropriate indicator of environmental contamination.