Investigation of cadmium pollution in the spruce saplings near the metal production factory

Toxicol Ind Health. 2016 Feb;32(2):323-7. doi: 10.1177/0748233713498452. Epub 2013 Oct 4.

Abstract

Toxic metals such as lead and cadmium are among the pollutants that are created by the metal production factories and disseminated in the nature. In order to study the quantity of cadmium pollution in the environment of the metal production factories, 50 saplings of the spruce species at the peripheries of the metal production factories were examined and the samples of the leaves, roots, and stems of saplings planted around the factory and the soil of the environment of the factory were studied to investigate pollution with cadmium. They were compared to the soil and saplings of the spruce trees planted outside the factory as observer region. The results showed that the quantity of pollution in the leaves, stems, and roots of the trees planted inside the factory environment were estimated at 1.1, 1.5, and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively, and this indicated a significant difference with the observer region (p < 0.05). The quantity of cadmium in the soil of the peripheries of the metal production factory was estimated at 6.8 mg/kg in the depth of 0-10 cm beneath the level of the soil. The length of roots in the saplings planted around the factory of metal production stood at 11 and 14.5 cm in the observer region which had a significant difference with the observer region (p < 0.05). The quantity of soil resources and spruce species' pollution with cadmium in the region has been influenced by the production processes in the factory.

Keywords: Cadmium pollution; factory of producing alloy metals; soil pollution; spruce.

MeSH terms

  • Cadmium / analysis*
  • Cadmium / toxicity*
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Industrial Waste / analysis*
  • Iran
  • Picea / chemistry*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Plant Stems / chemistry
  • Soil / chemistry
  • Soil Pollutants / analysis

Substances

  • Industrial Waste
  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Cadmium