Heavy metal accumulation in wheat plants irrigated by waste water

Heavy metals, known as a highly pollutant group with toxic and carcinogen effects, tend to accumulate in living organisms. As the farmers of Konya began to use the wastewate of the dischare, channels for agricultural irrigation, the productive soils have been polluted for a long time period, and the plants growing in the vicinity of the discharge channel were negatively affected. The study investigates heavy metals accumulation in 60 wheat samples collected from wastewater-irrigated fields around discharge channels, during the growth period of plants. Results of this study showed that sewage channel water application for field watering increased the heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) content in the root, body and seed parts of wheat plant, the increases recorded being higher for Mn and Zn.