Contamination of soil and plants with potentially toxic elements irrigatedwith mixed industrial effluent and its impact on the environment

For productive utilisation of effluent-contaminated agricultural land, mobi lisation and statistical analysis of potentially toxic elements in soil and plants of fields irrigated with mixed industrial effluent have been undert aken. Total Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cr have been estimated in soil and p lant species of contaminated and noncontaminated sites. 18 plants species a nd 18 root adjacent soil samples from contaminated Kalipur area and 11 plan ts species and 11 root adjacent soil samples from uncontaminated Madhabpur area comprising major crops, vegetables and weeds have been included in the study. It is revealed that Hibiscus esculentus, Lycopersicon esculentum an d Luffa acutangula growing in effluent-contaminated field show mobilisation ratio < 0.5 for most of the PTE (Potentially Toxic Elements) like Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd and normal morphology. Surprisingly, weeds in particular, sho w high mobilization ratio > 0.5 and simultaneously exhibit healthy gigantic morphology at the early flowering stage. Coriandrum sativum, Raphhanus sat ivus, Solanum melongena, Spinacea oleracea, Oryza sativum, Brassica olerace a showed mobilization ratio > 0.5 but maintained normal growth. Based on mo bilization ratio and external morphology, we suggest the cultivation of pla nts H. esculentus, L. acutangula, L. esculentum in land irrigated with indu strial effluent. The highest and second highest enrichment factor (EFpp) wa s found for Cd and Pb, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficient indi cated that the metal level in soil is not the main factor governing metal u ptake. This study will help in selecting plant species for cultivation in c ontaminated fields.