Uptake of heavy metals by vegetables from fly ash amended soils

• Main Author: Suganthanee, A/p Madasamy
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2009
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QD Chemistry
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/25716/2/Suganthanee%20%28fulltext%29.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/25716/

This study aim<XI to investigate the uptake of heavy metals by water spinach (Jpomoea aqua/lea) and chilies (Capsicum annum). These two types of vegetables were grown :in soil with fly ash amendments. Soil and fly ash samples were characterized for pH, organic matter. electrical conductivity, heavy metals contents and particle size and soil texture before planting the seeds. There were five different treatments perfonned using both vegetables. Treatment 1 contained only soil, treatment 2 containoo 75% of soil and 25% of fly ash. treatment 3 contained .of«tual amount of soil and fly ash, treatment 4 containoo 25 % soil and 75 % fly ash and treatment 5 containoo only fly ash. AI the end of the experiments, the yield, dry matter and height were calculated for each treatment for both vegetables. The heavy metals in water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and chilies (Capsicum annum) were performed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). The greatest enhaneement in the plant growtb, yield. dry matter and accumulation of metals were in the sequence of treatment 3 > treatment I (control):> treatment 2:> treatment 4. Treatment 5 did not demonstrate any growth symptoms. Statistical analysis showoo that there was a significant difference (P<O.05) between heavy metals uptake by plants in different treatments in all the metals except for Cr. Correlation analysis yielded a significant relationship between metals concentration in solIs and plants and a moderate relationship between metal concentration in fly ash and plants. The concentrations of heavy metals in all treatments were within the permissible levels set by the Malaysian Food Act (1983).