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Absorption of heavy metals within young wheat plant and detoxification using
zeolite

Милица Митић
Стајковце 16210 Власотинце

Introduction

Wheat represents one of oldest and most significant
crops in the world. Nowadays, people do not pay
much attention to the place where wheat is grown. Results
Such wheat, grown near a source of heavy metals,
absorbes certain amount of those heavy metals. It Content of heavy metals in plants after analysis
has been shown that heavy metals influence the conducted with Atomic Absorbtion Spectometer, as
growth and development of plants which have well as results of heavy metal concentration after
absorbed them, but, apart from physical changes, treatment with zeolite, are given in table 1.
they also influence chemical composition of the Wheat Cu Pb Zn
plant. If such plants are used for human Without
consumption, their absorbed metals can induce treatment 0,10 <0,05 1,25
numerous diseases with people. However, zeolite
can be used for reduction of heavy metals quantity Treated 6,6 0,91 6,1
in plants.
Treated
with 0,20 0,1 1,70
Methods zeolite

Table 1. Concentration of lead, copper and zink
The research has been conducted on commercial (mg/kg)
type of wheat, named Победа. After placing the soil
as a base, 20 wheat seeds were put in each of 18
pots in a plastic container. The soil, used as cover, Conclusion
was contaminated with heavy metals in 8 of the
pots. Heavy metal compounds, which were used for It has been concluded that plants absorb heavy
contamination, are lead acetate, copper sulfate pent metals from soil very easily and in relatively large
hydrate and zinc chloride. Apart from these three quantities, but timely treatment with zeolite
compounds, wheat was also watered with zeolite significantly lowers that concentration, which
solution. The other part of research was conducted reaches allowed limits. This research has shown that
eight days after sprouting in the Institute for public plants absorb as much heavy metals as they are near
health in Leskovac.
to their sources and that their concentration can be
put under control by careful selection of planting
areas or responsible zeolite treatment. Furthermore,
this study represents the beginning of my further
research, which I tend to conduct to the end of
vegetation period of wheat.

Literature
Figure 1. Preparation of samples for analysis

All samples were analyzed with Atomic absorption  Ратарство и повртарство = Field and
spectrometer, which defines the concentration of vegetable Crops Research, 2010. година
heavy metals in them.  Истраживање стручне саветодавне
службе о загађењу земљишт