EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL AND SEWAGE WASTE-WATERS ON THE CONCENTRATION OFSOLUBLE CARBON, NITROGEN, AND SOME MINERAL ELEMENTS IN SUNFLOWER PLANTS

The effect of three waste waters from two factories, Manquabad (fertil izer) and Bani Quara (detergents and oils), and a sewage effluent from Arab El-Madabegh (sewage effluent) on the soluble nitrogen and carbon fractions in sunflower plants was studied. In addition, tissue concen trations of sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), chloride (Cl), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) were determined Plants analyzed monthly tha t were grown in waste waters were found to have significantly higher s oluble sugar, hydrolysable carbohydrate, and soluble protein in both t heir shoots and roots than plants grown in tap water (control). No def inite pattern was noted for amino acid responses to the waste water tr eatment. Element concentrations in the plants were variable, affected by the pollution source differences and monthly sampling. Waste waters significantly enhanced the accumulation of most elements in both shoo ts and roots. The most notable effect was the increase in the Na, Cl, and Zn concentrations. In addition, waste waters significantly decreas ed the K content in both shoots and roots, Plants growing in Manquabad waste waters have the highest concentration of Zn, Mn, and Fe. The in ternal concentration for the mineral elements in the plant tissue was postively and negatively correlated with that found in the waste water s. The negative correlations existed with most elements in the plant t issue and waste waters, indicating the presence of an active regulatio n system that influenced the element uptake from the waste waters.