European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ANALYSIS OF HEAVY METAL LEAD (Pb) IN SOIL SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM AGRICULTURAL FIELDS NEAR INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND THE EFFECT OF LEAD ON SEED GERMINATION PERCENTAGE OF PIGEONPEA (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh) AND MAIZE (Zea mays L.).

*L. B. Divyajyothi and B. Sujatha

ABSTRACT

Soil testing is an acceptably, accurate and rapid soil chemical analysis for assessing heavy metal Lead (Pb) in industrial effluents. The industrial effluents has received wide spread attention. The heavy metal contamination leads to a serious threat to agricultural fields, products and living organisms. Among heavy metals, lead is an element that is easily accumulated in soil and sediments. The level of lead found in plants is often correlated with the level present in the environment. In view of this, the amount of heavy metal lead (Pb) was detected in the soil samples, collected from the agricultural fields near industrial areas. The study also throws light on the effects of lead toxicity on seed germination percentage (%) of Pigeonpea (cajanus cajan (L.) millspaugh), a C3 plant) and Maize (zea mays L.) a C4 plant) in the selected agricultural fields in paravada mandalam, venellapalem village near industrial areas. The analysis of heavy metal lead (Pb) in the soil samples were determined by using ASTM E1613-12 (Standard test method for determination of lead by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry) method. The mean values of heavy metal lead (Pb) and seed germination percentage of Pigeonpea and Maize in both control and contaminated areas.

Keywords: Heavy metal Lead (Pb), Soil samples, Pigeonpea, Maize, Seed germination percentage, Industrial areas, Agricultural fields.