Existence, extraction, and behaviour of some elements in the system of water-soil - plant

To study the behaviour of some element ions between plants and their soil, in addition to irrigation water, three types of plant species (aromatic, fodder and vegetables) were selected for this purpose due to their importance (mint, ocimum, alfalfa and eggplant). Two extracts from plant and soil samples (aqua regia and ammonium acetate) were analysed using AAS. The results showed high concentration of elements in plant leaves, followed by roots and stems. Iron showed the highest concentration of elements for all parts of plants. High concentrations of nickel and cadmium were detected in the soil, as well as in the plants and in irrigation water, this shows the close relationship between the three components. Zinc exhibited high bioaccumulation coefficient in most plant parts, but iron exhibited highest accumulation coefficient values in roots of studied vegetables. On the other side, the accumulation coefficient of Pb and Cd are the least in all plants. Most concentrations of the elements in soil samples are lower than those permitted in different countries. The results of the study illustrate the urgent need to analyse the soil of the agricultural lands and choose the appropriate plants to protect the public health.