Comparison of Vascular plant leaves in the ability to collect Atmospheric heavy metals in urban areas.

In this paper, the susceptibility of different vascular plant leaves was compared as biomarkers for environmental pollution with heavy metals and from different sources of origin. The research purpose is to compare accumulation capabilities of urban cultivated plants and to determine which varieties of studied plants are best for monitoring airborne heavy metals. Samples were taken from three types of evergreen trees, Phoenix dactylifera (p. dactylifera), Conocarpus erectus (C. erectus) and Eucalyptus spp. (Eu. spp.), and lands in the urban area for different site in the city of Najaf in Iraq. The sample concentrations (con.) of Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Pb and Zn in this research were tested by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). Differences con. of heavy metals (HM) in the 3 studied plant types showed that p. dactylifera had ability to accumulate HMs than other studied plants (2 to 41 once). The collecting con. of HMs in plants depends on minerals and human activities in this land. Fertilizers, minerals, and mineral relationships in plants with the congruous minerals in the land show that the collecting minerals inside trees at most due to sedimentation of the atmosphere, more than to the land mineral. Civilian activities such as factories and means of transportation represent the source responsible for the different concentrations of heavy elements in the air, which are transported into plants mostly through stomata. It has been proven that. P. Dactylifera is better compared to C. erectus and Eu. Spp. in collecting air pollutants it is fit to monitor urban pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]