scholarly journals HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF LEMON BALM (MELISSA OFFICINALIS L.) CULTIVATED ON HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATED SOILS

Author(s):  
Violina Angelova ◽  

Comparative research has been conducted to allow us to determine the content of heavy metals and chemical composition of lemon balm oils, as well as to identify the possibility of lemon balm growth on soils contaminated by heavy metals. The experimental plots were situated at different distances of 0.5 km, and 15 km, respectively, from the source of pollution the Non-Ferrous-Metal Works (MFMW) near Plovdiv, Bulgaria. On reaching the flowering stage the lemon balm plants were gathered. The content of heavy metals in leaves of lemon balm was determined by ICP. The essential oils of the lemon balm were obtained by steam distillation in laboratory conditions which were analyzed for heavy metals and chemical composition was determined. Lemon balm is a plant that is tolerant to heavy metals and can be grown on contaminated soils. Heavy metals do not affect the development of lemon balm and the quality and quantity of oil obtained from it. Forty components were identified in the oils. The quantity of identified compounds corresponds to 98.82-98.83% of the total oil content. Among the detected compounds, beta-citral (neral) (19.31-20.78%), alfa-citral (geranial) (18,65-19,12%), β-caryophyllene (14.76-16.28%), α-cadinol (3.88-4.74%), geranyl acetate (3.49-3.59%), trans-geraniol (3.40-3.51%), germacrene (3.18-3.28%), citronellal (2.94-3.03%), nerol (2.63-2.71%), neryl acetate (2.42 -2.49%) were the major compounds. The essential oil of Melissa officinalis L. can be a valuable product for farmers from polluted regions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-294
Author(s):  
Md Akhter Hossain Chowdhury ◽  
Tanzin Chowdhury ◽  
Md Arifur Rahman

Heavy metal accumulation in environmental compartments is a potential risk to the living system because of their uptake by plants and subsequent introduction into the food chain. A study was carried out to investigate the heavy metal contents in industrially contaminated soils collected from six different locations of Dhaka and Mymensingh districts and their effects on two important vegetables namely tomato and cabbage. Pot experiment was conducted using contaminated soils at the net house of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh following completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. The higher level of heavy metal contents was found in the soil samples of Hajaribag and Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ). The highest Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu and Fe contents were 59.45, 18.79, 67.57, 40.81 and 1619.61 µg g−1 which were much above the recommended level except Cu contents. The highest yield of vegetables was obtained grown in Maskanda soil of Mymensingh district and the lowest from DEPZ soil of Dhaka. The highest Ni, Cr and Fe contents were 8.91, 7.22, 419.65 µg g−1, respectively in tomato fruits grown in the soil of Hajaribag whereas the highest Cu content (3.38 µg g−1) was obtained from Seedstore soil, Mymensingh and highest Cd content (2.88 µg g−1) was from Mitford ghat soil, Dhaka. In cabbage, the highest Ni (17.52 µg g−1) and Fe (411.25 µg g−1) contents were found in the soils of DEPZ whereas the highest Cr (9.17 µg g−1), Cd (3.52 µg g−1) and Cu (8.51 µg g−1) were obtained in the plants grown in the soils of Hajaribag, Mitford ghat and Maskanda, respectively. Concentrations of all the tested heavy metals except Cu in both vegetables were above the maximum allowable limit prescribed by the World Health Organization. Among the metals, the accumulation of Ni was found as higher amount (0.39 and 0.71 for tomato and cabbage, respectively) based on plant concentration factor or transfer factor. The results showed a positive correlation between concentration of the metals present in soils and in vegetables and the highest correlation was found with Cr in tomato and Fe in cabbage. However, both the soils and grown vegetables were consistently observed to pose a risk to human health. So, it can be recommended that government should take necessary action so that heavy metals used in the industries cannot come into the nearby agricultural field to ensure food safety as well as food security. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 17(3): 288–294, 2019


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 630-642 ◽  

<div> <p>The growing number of polluted land areas makes the question of rehabilitation and safe/effective use of these areas increasingly imperative. For land polluted by heavy metals, the possibility of transferring the toxic pollutants to humans through the food chain further increases the importance of the safe management of polluted lands.&nbsp; We examined the possibility of using heavy metal-polluted areas for growing specific aromatic plants, which can be used either as food herbs/infusions, or to produce high value products. In a pot experiment, chamomile, sage and thyme plants were exposed to a range of concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Ni in the soil. Toxic metal levels were determined in the roots, leaves and flowers (for chamomile) of the plants. All three plants accumulated relatively high amounts of metals in their roots, whereas the aboveground parts exhibited lower accumulation capacity. Regardless the levels of metal accumulation, the quality of essential oils from chamomile, sage, and thyme was not affected and in all cases the extracted essential oils were free of heavy metals. Our results suggest that the aromatic plants under study cannot be consumed either as food additives or as infusions. However, under strict control of the cultivations, heavy metal-contaminated areas can be used for the production of essential oils from aromatic plants.</p> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Ato Armah ◽  
Reginald Quansah ◽  
Isaac Luginaah

Heavy metal accumulation in the food chain is an issue of global concern because it eventually leads to toxic effects on humans through the water we drink, contaminated soils, crops, and animals. Reports of toxicant levels in environmental media (air, water, and soil) and biota in Ghana were sought in SCOPUS, PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. Of 1004 bibliographic records identified, 54 studies were included in evidence synthesis. A disproportionately large number of papers (about 80%) focused exclusively on environmental media. Papers focusing on biomonitoring and human health were relatively few. Studies reported a high degree of spatial variability for the concentrations of 8 metals in groundwater. Generally, heavy metal concentrations in soil reported by the studies reviewed were higher than metal concentrations in riverine sediments. Urine and hair were the most common biological markers of heavy metal exposure used by the studies reviewed unlike nails, which were sparingly used. By and large, published results on the levels of heavy metals in goldmine and non-mine workers yielded contradictory results. Mostly, concentrations of heavy metals reported by the studies reviewed for nails were higher than for hair. A high degree of variability in the heavy metal concentrations in human subjects in the studies reviewed is likely due to heterogeneity in physiological states, excretion profiles, and body burdens of individuals. These, in turn, may be a product of genetic polymorphisms influencing detoxification efficiency.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Nurzyńska-Wierdak ◽  
Anna Bogucka-Kocka ◽  
Grażyna Szymczak

The present study investigated changes in the content and chemical composition of the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from air-dried Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) leaves in the first and second year of plant growth. The lemon balm oil was analysed by GC-MS and GC-FID. The presence of 106 compounds, representing 100% of the oil constituents, was determined in the oil. The predominant components were geranial (45.2% and 45.1%) and neral (32.8% and 33.8%); their proportions in the examined samples of the oil obtained from one- and two-year-old plants were comparable. However, the age of lemon balm plants affected the concentration of other constituents and the proportions of the following compounds were subject to especially high fluctuations: citronellal (8.7% and 0.4%), geraniol (trace amounts and 0.6%), and geranyl acetate (0.5% and 3.0%), as well as, among others, isogeranial, E-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, germacrene D, and carvacrol. The essential oil of two-year-old plants was characterized by a richer chemical composition than the oil from younger plants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 7099
Author(s):  
Inkyeong Moon ◽  
Honghyun Kim ◽  
Sangjo Jeong ◽  
Hyungjin Choi ◽  
Jungtae Park ◽  
...  

In this study, the geochemical properties of heavy metal-contaminated soils from a Korean military shooting range were analyzed. The chemical behavior of heavy metals was determined by analyzing the soil pH, heavy metal concentration, mineral composition, and Pb isotopes. In total, 24 soil samples were collected from a Korean military shooting range. The soil samples consist of quartz, albite, microcline, muscovite/illite, kaolinite, chlorite, and calcite. Lead minerals, such as hydrocerussite and anglesite, which are indicative of a transformation into secondary mineral phases, were not observed. All soils were strongly contaminated with Pb with minor concentrations of Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn. Arsenic was rarely detected. The obtained results are indicated that the soils from the shooting range are contaminated with heavy metals and have evidences of different degree of anthropogenic Pb sources. This study is crucial for the evaluation of heavy metal-contaminated soils in shooting ranges and their environmental effect as well as for the establishment of management strategies for the mitigation of environmental risks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Abakpa Adegbe ◽  
Oluwaseyi Oluwabukola Babajide ◽  
Lois Riyo Maina ◽  
Shola Elijah Adeniji

Abstract Background Heavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health. Increasing environmental pollution has necessitated the use of cattle egrets to evaluate the levels of heavy metal contamination, to establish their use in biomonitoring of heavy metals and to provide data for monitoring pollution in the environment. Results The present study assessed the utilization of Bubulcus ibis in monitoring pollution in five abattoirs, namely Agege, Bariga, Kara, Itire and Idi-Araba, all situated in Lagos State. The concentration of five (5) heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was determined in the liver, muscle and feather of Bubulcus ibis using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The trend of metal accumulation was in the order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni for all the sampled tissues. The mean tissue concentrations of the metals were significantly different (p < 0.05) among the sites. The highest levels of metal concentration were reported in the liver in all the locations. Mean concentration of Cd in Kara (0.003 ± 0.00058) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those found at Agege (0.0013 ± 0.00058) and Idi-Araba (0.001 ± 0.001). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was also observed between the mean concentrations of Cu in Bariga (0.01 ± 0.001) and Idi-Araba (0.003 ± 0.001). Conclusion All the studied heavy metals were present in the liver, muscle and feathers of the cattle egrets. The contamination levels were ascertained from the study which indicated that cattle egrets are useful in biomonitoring studies and the generated data will serve as baseline data which could be compared with data from other locations for monitoring heavy metal pollution.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 414-426
Author(s):  
A.O. Adekiya ◽  
A.P. Oloruntoba ◽  
S.O. Ojeniyi ◽  
B.S. Ewulo

Abstract The study investigated the level of heavy metal contamination in plants {maize (Zea mays) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)} from thirty soil samples of three locations (Epe, Igun and Ijana) in the Ilesha gold mining area, Osun State, Nigeria. Total concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Spatial variations were observed for all metals across the locations which was adduced to pH and the clay contents of the soils of each location. The results showed that heavy metals are more concentrated in the areas that are closer to the mining site and the concentrations in soil and plants (maize and tomato) decreased with increasing perpendicular distance from the mining site, indicating that the gold mine was the main sources of pollution. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in plants (tomato and maize) samples were considered to be contaminated as As, Cd and Pb respectively ranged from 0.6 - 2.04 mg kg-1, 0.8 - 5.2 mg kg-1, 0.8 - 3.04 mg kg-1 for tomato and respectively 0.60 - 2.00 mg kg-1, 1.50 - 4.60 mg kg-1 and 0.90 - 2.50 mg kg-1 for maize. These levels exceeded the maximum permissible limits set by FAO/WHO for vegetables. In conclusion, monitoring of crops for toxic heavy metals is essential for food safety in Nigeria.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. KHAN ◽  
N. AHMED ◽  
W. HASSAN ◽  
T. SABA ◽  
S. KHAN ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: Phytoremediation is a useful tool to restore heavy metals contaminated soils. This study was carried out to test two castor (Ricinus communis) cultivars [Local and DS-30] for phytoextraction of heavy metals from the soil spiked by known concentrations of seven metals (Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn). A pot experiment was laid out by using a completely randomized design. Soil and plant samples were analyzed at 100 days after planting. The data on heavy metal uptake by plant tissues (roots, leaves and shoots) of the two castor cultivars suggested that a considerable amount of metals (Fe = 27.18 mg L-1; Cu = 5.06 mg L-1; Cr = 2.95 mg L-1; Mn = 0.22 mg L-1; Ni = 4.66 mg L-1; Pb = 3.33 mg L-1; Zn = 15.04 mg L-1) was accumulated in the plant biomass. The soil heavy metal content at the end of experiment significantly decreased with both cultivars, resulting in improved soil quality. Therefore, it is concluded that both castor cultivars, Local and DS-30, can be used for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (AAEBSSD) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
Sridevi Tallapragada ◽  
Rajesh Lather ◽  
Vandana ◽  
Gurnam Singh

Phytoremediation is the plant-based technology that has emerged as a novel cost effective and ecofriendly technology in which green plants are used for extraction, sequestration and/or detoxification of the pollutants. Plants possess the natural ability to degrade heavy metals and this property of plants to detoxify contaminants can be used by genetic engineering approach. Currently, the quality of soil and water has degraded considerably due heavy metal accumulation through discharge of industrial, agricultural and domestic waste. Heavy metal pollution is a global concern and a major health threat worldwide. They are toxic, and can damage living organisms even at low concentrations and tend to accumulate in the food chain. The most common heavy metal contaminants are: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn. High levels of metals in soil can be phytotoxic, leading to poor plant growth and soil cover due to metal toxicity and can lead to metal mobilization in runoff water and thus have a negative impact on the whole ecosystem. Phytoremediation is a green strategy that uses hyperaccumulator plants and their rhizospheric micro-organisms to stabilize, transfer or degrade pollutants in soil, water and environment. Mechanisms used to remediate contaminated soil includes phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytotransformation, phytostimulation, phytovolatilization and rhizofiltration. Traditional phytoremediation method presents some limitations regarding their applications at large scale, so the application of genetic engineering approaches such as transgenic transformation, nanoparticles addition and phytoremediation assisted with phytohormones, plant growth-promoting bacteria and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation has been applied to ameliorate the efficacy of plants for heavy metals decontamination. In this review, some recent innovative technologies for improving phytoremediation and heavy metals toxicity and their depollution procedures are highlighted.


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