Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Associated Irrigated Water, Soil and Production of Tomato around the Export Processing Zone of Bangladesh

Abstract

Present study assesses the uptake and allotment of heavy metals in irrigated water, soil and tomato (Lycopersicones culentum) at the export processing zone of Bangladesh. The elemental distributions of the heavy metals in the plant organs and fruits were determined after the harvesting stage. The uptake and distribution of the three heavy metals Cd, Cr and Pb were found in the several organs of tomato in reducing pattern of green tomato>plant shoot> leaf> ripen tomato> plant root; leaf> ripen tomato> plant shoot> plant root> green tomato and plant shoot> leaf> ripen tomato> plant root> green tomato while Ni has more toxic metal in Plant root but less in ripe tomato. This outline of distribution in the plant organ showed the typical pattern of a prohibited plant with a higher concentration of metals accumulated in the plant parts than in the fruits. The reducing pattern of the bio-concentration factor (BCF) showed that the ability of tomato fruits to accumulate heavy metals was reduced as the level of contamination in plant parts.