Transfer of Cadmium from Soil to Vegetable Crops

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted in order to study the transfer of Cd from soil to the vegetable crops namely Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), Lal sak (Amaranthus tricolor L.) and Data sak (Amaranthus spinosis L.). The mean transfer factors (concentration in plant dry weight / concentration in soil dry weight) varied from 2.030 to 6.785 in root and 0.166 to 0.525 in shoot. The following mean Cd-transfer factors (DW /DW) were obtained; Lettuce (root: 6.785, shoot: 0.271), Spinach (root: 4.775, shoot: 0.385), Lal sak (root: 2.03, shoot: 0.166) and Data sak (root: 3.445, shoot: 0.525). The transfer factor of Cd in roots of vegetables decreased in the order: Lettuce>Spinach> Lal sak; while in shoots it was Data sak>Spinach>Lettuce>Lal sak. Key words: Cadmium, transfer, soil and vegetables crops. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 42(3), 327-334, 2007