BIOACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN CARROT AND PARSLEY ROOTS SAMPLED FROM HOUSEHOLDS IN COPSA MICA

Abstract

Naturally heavy metals like cadmium, zinc, lead and copper are found in Earth’s crust and due to weathering, they are dispersed in the environment. All soils contain a full range of heavy metals, but their concentrations usually are very low. Although, heavy metals concentrations differ from soil to soil, toxicity level is seldom reached, because geochemical cycles are very slow. The study present bioaccumulation of heavy metals in carrot and parsley roots from households in one of the critical areas of heavy metal contamination, Copșa Mică. The bioaccumulation factor was used to investigate the translocation of heavy metals in the soil-crop system. Bioaccumulation factors for cadmium varied between 0.001 and 0.185 in parsley roots, and between 0.004 and 0.300 in carrot roots. Bioaccumulation factors for lead varied between 0.000 and 0.003 in parsley roots, and between 0.000 and 0.002 in carrot roots. Bioaccumulation factors for zinc varied between 0.004 and 0.056 in parsley roots, and between 0.003 and 0.028 in carrot roots. Bioaccumulation factors for copper varied between 0.015 and 0.065 in parsley roots, and between 0.004 and 0.024 in carrot roots. The bioaccumulation factors of parsley roots followed the order Cd (0.185) > Cu (0.065) > Zn (0.056) > Pb (0.003) and in case of carrot roots Cd (0.300) > Zn (0.028) > Cu (0.024) > Pb (0.002). As it can be observed, cadmium was most easily uptaken by crops while lead was identified as having the lowest accumulation in crops.