Vol.3 No.4 – 5 : Effect of discharged sewage water on accumulation of heavy metals in three plant species Zygophyllum album L. Suaeda aegyptiaca and Cyprus rotundus

By : Al-Zahrani Saeed, AL-Hasawi zaki

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate pollution  caused  by  Jeddah City sewage water discharge on the Red Sea coastal soil and the accumulation of heavy metals in the naturally growing plants : Suaeda aegyptiaca Forssk. , Zygophyllum album L. and Cypersus jeminicus Rottb. Metal accumulation in the polluted water , soil and plants was compared with those parameters in an unpolluted coastal site ,30 km south of Jeddah City . The results indicated significantly high accumulation of metals in sea water, soil and plants of the polluted site compared to the unpolluted site. Macro – elements Ca , Na , Mg , K and P , and micro – elements ( heavy and toxic metal ) specially Fe , Al , Zn , and Mn were significantly high dominating all other elements . The three species differed in the elements they accumulated, and  all of them accumulated more than one element . The different plant parts ( leaves , stems , roots ) differed in the magnitude of the metals they accumulated . Suaeda  aegyptiaca Forssk. accumulated 7 elements Zn , Cu , Mn , Cr , Ni , Ba , Al  ,  and Zygophyllum album L. accumulated 9 elements , Zn , Mn , Cu , Ag , Co , Al , Ba , Ni , and Cr , while Cyperus jeminicus Rottb. accumulated only 3 elements , Zn , Mn and Ag . These three species may be considered hyperaccumulators to Zn , Ni and Al metals . According to this study these three species can be used as phytoremidation  to soils polluted with heavy metals.

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