HEAVY METALS ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION PATTERN IN MAIZE PLANTS.

This paper investigates the pattern of heavy metal accumulation and distribution in maize plants grown in a field near Sarajevo International Airport. Soil and maize plant samples from the studied soil were analyzed for selected heavy metals, i.e., chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd) lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn). The pattern of their accumulation and distribution were assessed using bioaccumulation factor (soil-root transfer) and translocation factor (root-leaves transfer). In this study, all the heavy metals studied (except Zn and Mn) exhibited higher contents in the analyzed root tissues than in the above-ground parts of maize (stem, leaves and kernels), suggesting that maize plants have versatile mechanisms to restrict transport of toxic heavy metals Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu and Ni from root to other parts of maize plants. On the other hand, Zn and Mn were more efficiently transferred from the maize roots to leaves. These results were expected, since Zn and Mn play an important role in various metabolic processes in plants. The study results also indicate that maize plants have a strong ability to absorb Cd ions from soil and accumulate them in roots, suggesting that maize is an efficient plant in phytostabilizing Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]