Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves as biomonitors of atmospheric metal pollution in arid and semi-arid environments

Omar Ali Al-Khashman, Ala'A H. Al-Muhtaseb, Khalid A. Ibrahim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The leaves of date palms were evaluated as a possible biomonitor of heavy metal contamination in Ma'an city, Jordan. Concentrations of (Fe), (Pb), (Zn), (Cu), (Ni), and (Cr) were determined in washed and unwashed leaves and soil samples collected from different sites with different degrees of metal contamination (urban, suburban, industrial, highway and rural sites); separate leaves were taken from outside the city to be used as a control sample. Samples collected from industrial sites were found to have high concentrations of all metals except those of Cu, Ni and Pb, which were found at high levels in the highway site samples which is associated with the road traffic. The difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that metal pollutants exist as contaminants, particularly Pb, Zn and Ni, which varied in concentration, depending on the source of the metal.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1635-1640
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume159
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Arid environment
  • Atmospheric deposition
  • Biomonitoring
  • Date palm leaves
  • Heavy metals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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