Heavy metal contamination in the leaves of some evergreen trees in urban parks in Karaj, Iran
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v11i2.316Keywords:
Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Phytoremediation, Trees, Urban ParksAbstract
Lead (Pb²⁺), cadmium (Cd²⁺), and chromium (Cr³⁺) are heavy metals that in excess quantities, affect human health. This study was conducted to find suitable plant species for controlling the heavy metal levels in healthy environmental spaces. To ensure spatial representation, 3 parks in Karaj, Alborz province; Hamon, Jahanshahr, and Chamran; were sampled. A total of 12 samples were collected from each park, with a total of 36 samples across all study sites. The measurements were done with flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). For mean comparison of values, different methods of analysis of variance and Tukey's test were used to assess the significance level of 0.05. The highest mean and standard deviation of total Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were recorded in Cupressus sempervirens (1.24±0.05 ppm; 0.82±0.04 ppm), and the lowest mean and standard deviation in Chamaecyparis sp. (0.81±0.06 ppm; 0.81±0.06 ppm). The highest mean and standard deviation of total Cr³⁺ were also recorded in C. sempervirens (0.45±0.05 ppm) but the lowest mean and standard deviation of total Cr³⁺ were in Ligustrum ovalifolium cv. Aureomarginatum (0.35±0.08 ppm).
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