Document B8o2LNQ7p4aR8DjeKkd32vGJw

ie a e ; com::.!i?:.ATiDE o e; ENyiROHkENi, in . JvlEr?A VALLEY-YUGOSLAVIA +/ Some considerations on lead content ip soil and plants. . ; Dusan Ejuric and 2arka Kerin ' Institute of Occupational and Radiological Health, Belgrad, ' Yugoslavia , :- In Yugoslavia two areas exist in which population is exposed to higher level of lead in relation to urban population exposed to lead from automobile fumes. These areas are located around: lead and zinc mines, possessing smelting plants: Mezica / (Slovenia) and Ti'epSa (Kosovo) . The Mezica lead and zinc mine us located in Slovenian Alps toward Austrian border. The valley'is situated on about '600 m.over sea level with sourounding mountains reaching 1624 m. Meza river is flowing along the valley sampling waters from creeks. In the middle of this long volley the .source of lead contamination^ is located; the smelting plant built in 18$5,; ,, producing now about 22 000 t. of lead and 11 000 t. of zinc. The plant is emitting more than 200 t. of lead aerosols yearly, contaminating whole valley. Flotation installations are heavi ly polluting Meza river- with lead. In 1967 we started a broad ecologic study on lead contamination of air, snow, water, soil, various plants and food ana evaluation of exposure of. population to lead. All these results will be published elsewhere. Here wd like to present some 'experience1 in establishing lead absorption of various plants from the soil. +/ ` This .paper, is. based on 'work performed with contract, 3CSOH-YUG-Y between the Institute of Occupational and Radio- logic-Health, Belgrad and US Public Health, Service.. ' The soil samples were taken in seme areas (gardens, fields) where the plant .samples were taken. We took soil samples on 4 corners of a square 10 ,m.long. The surface layer ' of soil (about 0,5 cm, thick) was removed with plastic spade and next layer, 3-4 cm. deep, was sampled. All 4 samples are mixed end put-in plastic vessel every sample is dried on air at room temperature and sieved through a sieve with 2 mm. holes. For Pb analysis 0,5-2 gr. of dried sample was taken. Lead determination is performed by modified dithizone method similar to plant samples (1). Physiologically active Pb (abaornable), AL-Dissolved (was determined by AL-method described by Hiehm, for Potassium) 2/.5 gr. of soil sample is put in polyethylene flask of 250 ccm and following mixture AOO com/ is added; 0,1 N ammonium lacta te end 0,4 N acetic acid. Extraction is performed by shaking in machine for .2 hours. Mixture is filtered through wrinkled paper filter /white band/ and lr5 com. of filtate is analyzed for dissolved'lead by. dithisone method.. "The plant samples /overground and underground part of vegetables, hay, fruits/ were taken at; end of July ..and end of October each year. The plant is washed well with watter and ..dimenirailizedvwater..-.to- clean' it from soil. The sample is. cut as used for preparation of food. We prepared' peeled and non- peeled samples of potato /Solanum Auberosum/, garden beet /Beta Vulgaris L./, /SSP Esculents/, turnip cabbage/ Brass!ca \T . ,flloracoa* Var Gppgjrlpdeo''' Li/, gardorh rutab'aga/BrassicW- . - .. T Napus war., Eapobrasica7 Fe'cerm./, xnitapsga /Beta Vulgaris L./, pear /pirus Communis/ apple /Malus Domestics Borkh./. The ; samples were scraped on surface in the case of parsley /Petrolic Hortense-Hoffm./j red carrot /Daucus Carota L./, celery /Apium Graveolens L./, radish. The outside layer is removed in onion /Allim Cepa L./, .c . ' <c \. ui . . common garlic , /Allium Sativum L./, common leek /Allium Ampeloprssum L, f. Porrum BGL/. Products of bush bean /Phasedus vulgrais L., var. intermedius/was; washed and cut whole. Climbing bean /Phaseolus : EPI 000493 3/ ^Vulgaris1-* .v.var.' -.aTtus/vwas dried and crushed in mortal.'-- The leaves of salads /lettuce, en/ divie/,... parsley,cabbage . /Letuca Sotivs Var; Cepitata/, celery, hay,- after grass were dried and cut. . , .'. All prepared samples were dried in drying -cabinet at 0~99C. Therefore, all results, cited here are expressed in f relation to weight of dry substance.'' 'For Pb analysis performed by dfthizone. method /!/ 0,5-2 gr`of samples was used. Figure 1 represent a sketch of geographic position of Meza valley with marked spots on which samples of soil and plants were taken. ' = S. \ Results and discussion.' - ' -. v y Here we like to present results of Pb determination in soil an .d underground pari ts of some vegetables;' As. we mentioned underground parts were washedJ peeled of scraped, cutted,' dried 'and analyzed. Rutabaga was prepared unpeeled as used for feeding of animals. The results of Pb analysis are presented on Table 1. Obtained results could be divided in 3 groups/using maximal; values/: -, . 1/ vegetables with relatively high' content ,of Pb, reaching over 50 mg/kg : . -t 2/ vegetables with medium content reaching over 10 mg/kg 3/ vegetables with low Pb content under 5 mg/kg. The differences in the Pb content of the same kind of vegetable on various sampling spots represent consequence of variations in the Pb content uf the soil Adequate absorption; The other differences are due differences ana variations of plants. To mention the most important factors: 1/ differences -in physiology and capacity of absorption 2/ chape and size of rooth . y ' 3/ deepnes of rooth into the soil EPI 000494 4/ 4/ surface properties of rooth: smoothness, roughness. It is interesting to note that same kind of vegetable showed ...always much higher Pb content when raised in summer . and fall (October) than in the spring (July sample). ., In Table 1 the results of parsley for July 1968 and October 1968 are quoted. October results are y times higher for samples on the same sampling spot. This fact can be explai' ned by .greater duration of exposure (growing time) and diffe rence in climatic factors. From the first glance on Table 1 it is possible to conclude that plants from the first group are not suitable for growing on soil with great Pb content. For such soil is . better to develop plants from the second, especially third group, showing small lead absorption. That means, in such areas it is better to grow potato, onion ana garlic, less suitable are common leek, red carrot and celery. Rutabaga, parsley a'nd garden beet -are very dangerous, especially when . growed hu^iog summer' and fall, showing great absorption and Pb content*. ' ; n p We'paid a special attention to the problems of lead absorption from soim by these vegetables. ' The presence of lead in underground parts of plants represent result of absorption of lead from the soil.- There- . fore it would be of interest to calculate absorption coeffi cient from Pb content of soil and plant. That means it could be possible to find out discrimination factors for lead absorption from soil into underground parts of these plants. 'In such way it would be possible to follow transfer of lead through various members of the' ecological chain: fall-outsoil-plants-food-man. For this purpose, we performed analysis of Pb in ^ samples of soil taken on same areas (gardens) where plant samples were taken. Obtained results showing total Pb content V' in the soil are present ed on-Table 2, For every sampling spot: we are quoting high over sea level in meters and distance EPl 000495 (air distance) from the source of lead contamination., that means'chimheys-of; the smelting plant. Using these data about total quantity of lead in the soil, "we tried to calculate absorption coefficient '(C^) for analyzed underground parts of vegetables by relation: * Pb_content offhe .plant ' Pb /total/ in the soil ^ ^ ' V- Calculated values are very dispersed showing great variations between two similar sampling spots. We concluded that total Pb content could not represent an authoritative data: for lead absorption into .the underground part, of plants. Our' opinion was supported by data in agriculture literature quoting so called "physiologically active" part- of elements present' in the soil ("aborbable", "available", "AL-soluble"). , Namely , Riehm /2/ developed a method for determination of this part for.Potassium using extraction of the soil by ammonium-lactate: acetic, acid mixture /se called iL-method/*. By analogy, we concluded that only a part of the total Pb present in the soil, is ready to be absorbed by plants /phy siologically active Pb, absorbable, available, AL-soluble Pb/. We assumed that this part could, be determined by AL-extracticn. . method*:We,performed this extraction on the same soil samples and determined Pb in the extract. We marked these results as Al-Pb in soil and calculated absorption coefficient CAT using relation: ... V'. Pb conten'of the plant AL-Pb in the soil = CAL The results ofAL-Pb are also, presented: in Table 2. Xt is obvious that great difference exist in relation between total and. AL-Pb expressed in percentage.: of the second to first ohe/from 50: % to 1,5 %/. We assume'thet: physico-chemical : properties .of the. soil, mechanics 'properties, 'quality, pK-humi-, . EPI QQM% 6/ dity and other factors are influencing this relation. The quantity of total lead is also playing a. role. When total Pb. coritent is high /over 4 gr/kg/,: generally higher; percen tage of Al-Pb could be expected. In soils under 4 gr of total lead no.correlation exist showing great differences in CT and C^. We calculated C^, and AL for, all vegetables; mentioned in Table 1 and they are presented in Table 3 for one. represen tative of every group: 'parsbley, red carrot and potato. It is evident that calculated coefficients are. less dispersed than C^.. In-'the case of red carrot we perfor med statistical evaluation and established much higher corre- lation between Pb content of this vegetable with AL-soiuble Pb /r-0,74/ than: with total Pb-. It is for sura that AL-soluble Pb/physiologically active represent more authoritative data for determination *>f absorption coefficient that total. Pb content of the soil. Studying; results for CAL it is evident' that absorption is-very low in very contaminated soil, that means discrimina tion is very high. Naturally, absolute Pbvalu in these plants is higher. . -On-the: other hand, in the case of low contaminated soil absorption is much better reaching 60 . 10 for red carrot. Absolute Pb value is lower. We hope that these consideration would be of interest for hygienitss as for botanists showing absorption of one important ubiquitar element from the soil into the plants. We like to evaluate statistically and for other vegetables. - ... : . -- ; . EPI 000497 \ 'v REFERENCES: i 7/ 1/ 2.Keri n: Beetinsiu'ng von Mikromengen B1 ei in pflonslii : chen Material Mikrochimica .Acts; _5/i968/927: : 2/ A.Riehm: Die 1inamcaiuralaktate essigsaure-Methode zur Cr 'Bestimcupg ae&\,Ksliamyerdorgdhgsgrad; von :/V .Boden, Agrochimica AS5SA ' \ 'A * jaaagMeigB53ig^B33gaaitWJe5Ereataa EPI 006498 ft f 8/ T A B. LE.,1 Lead content of underground: parts, of : vegetables ' Ela'rit^undergro!t;nd'-''ip'brt; :;v (peeled or soraped) mg Pb/kgV. . . .* 1Maximum ; Minimum, Non-contaminated value value Parsley (Petroselinum Hortenv : se'Hoffm.) ' (October 1968) - 51,12 .7- " 7 0,80 '* . 0,22 Rutabaga.(Beta vulgaris L.)~ nonpeeled 55,72 0,80 0,22 Gardenbeet (Beta vulgaris L., SSP Esculents) <_ 55,45 0,22 . , o,i4 : po / . Commo a leek ( Allium Amiopra sun L, 'u7,60 Red carrot (Daucus carrota L.) . 17,39 Parsley (July 1968)' 16} 18 Celery (Apium grsveolus' L.) 15,20 1,41 0,61 0,52 I 2,25 c~i C\l o s 0,29 0,45. 0,53 7 Onion(Allium Cepa LJ Common garlic (Allium sativuia L.) Potato(Solanum Tuberosum L.) 4,53 1,52 1,01 0,22 0,11 0,14 '' 0,30 0,30 0,12 / 4 T AvB.L'-B'.'-2-u;' Pb ...inisoii in n^/kg 9/ Locat ion 4 Height in,' Distance No. actors : in actors (over sea lovol)' from chimneys July 1968 .Total Pb Active. Fo % October 1963 Total Pb Active Pb cf - 1* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 : 14 -15'!K 16 . 17 . IS 19 V 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 540 540 540 540 : 540 . 540 700 ' 530 500. 620 600 630 560480' .640 650 560 650 550 700 730 ... 710 600 600 N 700 - 750 930 970 450 450 450 400 364 . '- 200 500 230 . 520 , 1 100 2 200 1 850 3 500 . 3 980 1 620 1. 950 ' 2 570 5 600 4 520 2: 000 2 030 3 010 3 520 , 4 420 4 100 3 500 4 750 970 1 750 3 350 1 500 2 250 7 170 7 500 7 250 9 600 9 350 17 100 24 830 12 057 48,4 24 680 ' 12 3 960 1 251. 31,6 8 508 2 395 28,2 4 624 924 20,0 5 084 1 905 37,5 2 696 ., 542 20, r 3 147 374 11 >9 . 3 584 --..' -- 2 576 909 ; 35,3 2 478 712 , 26,7 : 4 916 542 11,0 .1 320 232. 17,6 1- 455 78,9 5,5 1228 397 30,8 955 184 18,5 582 105 32.0 1 183 , 243 20,5 1 140 252 2,1 696 275 39,5 1 023 89,9 8,5 384 155 40,4 938 . 112 12,0' 408 * 39 9,5 387 ,25,1 ' 6,5 365 43,4 11,9 134 30,0 4,0 653 45,4 6,9 975 ' 31,8 3,3 1000 50,0 5,0 . -1 430 241,0 16,9 1 077 317 29,4- 1 974 26,8 1,4 '745 26,4 3,5 661 27,6 4,2; 371 38,8 10,5 643 32,9 5,1, 397 v 29,9 7,5 360 13,6 3,8 - 204 17,2 8,4 3 538 .224,0 6,3 .3 718 93,2 2,5 1 052 183,0 . 17,4 237 15,2 6,4 222 16,4 8,3 375 20,6 5,5 531 45,7 8,6 595 39,7 6,7 295 14,4 4,9 191 12,8 6,7 213 9,6 4,5 185 10,8 5,6 563 66,5 ;v-: 28 13,9 0,9 1,8 2,1 2,5 363 40,4 11,1 1,3 35 2,1 6,0 4,7 24,6 1,5 ' 6,1. 7,5 36,5 3,0 8,2 Noncoattininctod area -- 12 aanploa 10,33 .... 1,1 / 10,5 (2,6 ~ 20,.8) (0,4 - 2,2} EPI 000500 ; ' 10' '. / TA8LE 3 , Pb content of, vegetables and, absorption cooffcionts . Loca-; * Parsley (October1958).; tion A7b Pb ng/kg CT AL iiC/C*. Octi'rot (Jul7 1963}. Pb m/5/kg CT . CIL . Potato (October 1.965 . Pb ng/kg / CT c.. l. 51,12 0,21x10"2 0,42x1a"2 17,39 0,7x10" ^2 0' ,14x10~^2 2 40,12 0,47 1,68 . '3 22,14 0,44 1,16 4 17,14 , 0,55 - 4,58 6,55 0,24 1,21 5 13,80 0,54 1>52 10,87 6- 17,25 0,69. 2,42 7 .5,4.6 0,38 6,92 3,15, 0,24 1,36 8 12,6 1,27 6,83 3,52 0,27 0,89 t 1,01 0,02xl0"2 0/05x1C 0,89 0,67 0,40 0,03 0,! 0,03 0,09 0,22 0,51 9 10 11 , 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 / 20 21 22 ` 4,60 1,73 2,60 0,42 0,17 . 0,28 2,94 1,60 4,73 10,33 0,81 , . 0,24 0,47 0,96 2,73 7,23 0,74 1,82 6,20 0,17' 1,90 / 1,92 2,32 ' 14,04 1,19 13,45 1,93 7 .... > 5,78 4,89 6,77 3,52 9,46 3,26 ' : 1,34 0,35 5,34 2,01 0,21 /, 6,32 7,04 24,18 6,65 1,69 0,26 6,12 0,61 0,17 4,49 0,63 0,35 0,37 0,21 0,63 0,11 0,03 0,04 0,02 0,15 0,22 ' 0,03 0,23 0,65 0,02 : 0,09 0,61 0,19 0,15 0,09 0,34 ' 0,14 0,41 0,19 . 1,61 ' 0,48 0,70' 2,46 2,04 . 1,10 23 24 25 26 27 26 , 29 30 31 32 33 2,23 1,0 7,14 1,27 1,20 0,65 0,80 2,28 1,03 2,93 12,11 17,9a 9,92 38,09 35,66 2,67 0,25 1,46 ' 7 . 1,28 0,54 8,42 0,30 - 3,46 , 0,92 16,79 0,55 1,93 0,37 4,33 0,30 1,05 0,36 7,29 0,21 1.01 ' 0,47 10,50 * 0,90 0,53 . 9,07 : O 4 r 0,44 ; 17,62 0,89 2,28 49,44 0,14 . ' *1 97 ' 4,53 60,47 , 0,13 0,05 0,11 1,53 * 0,76 1,64 . 0,40 6,65 EPI 000501