COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON UPTAKE OF LEAD (Pb) AND CHROMIUM (Cr) BY AMARANTHUS CAUDATUS
Adamu, H.M1, Khalid, M.T, 1 *Ushie, O. A2, Shibdawa M. A1 & Neji, P. A3
1Department of Chemistry, AbubakarTafawa Balewa University, Bauchi
2Department of Chemical Sciences, Federal University, Wukari Nigeria
3Department of Chemical Science, Cross River University of Technology Calabar,
Email: afiushie@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Soil pollution with heavy metals due to discharge of untreated urban and industrial waste water is a major threat to ecological and human well being. This research was carried out to determine and compare the level of heavy metal uptake (Cr and Pb) of Amaranthuscaudatus planted on contaminated soil. A 6kg of soil was contaminated with 20g of Pb(NO3)2 which contains 12.51g of Pb and 20g of K2Cr2O7 which contains 7.07g of Cr. Amaranthuscaudatus was planted on this contaminated soil. Germination begins after 2 days of plantation but for Cr there was no germination. In soil contaminated with Pb, growth continuous for 50 days under. A similar trend was carried out for the uncontaminated soil which also germinates after 2 days of plantation. The result shows that Cr was toxic to germination and it affects the germination process of Amaranthuscaudatus which did not germinate entirely. The level of heavy metals in the soil and vegetable was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) analysis. Transfer Factor (TF) from the soil to the plant was also determined. This result shows a large percentage of the heavy metals absorbed by the plant from the soil. The result also shows that Amaranthuscaudatus has the ability to phytoremediate to a very small extent.