Estimation of heavy metals in sediments and aquatic plant species in two rivers of Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

This research highlights the distribution of heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co and Mn) in Ravi and Chenab and assesses their effect on ecosystem health. Samples of plant species and sediments at eight sampling sites were collected and analysed by the PIXE technique. Heavy metal concentrations (µg/g) of Zn (7.98–411.23), Ni (12.59–209), Cu (3.74–38.77) and Mn (0–730.21) in river Ravi and concentrations of Zn (49.32–274.30), Ni (1.05–141.21) and Mn (41.66–519.47) in river Chenab were found to be high but Heavy metal concentration in the two compartments were in the following order plants > sediments. Heavy metals of sediments and plants depict that there are significant correlations between Cu (0.994), Zn (0.986) and Cr (0.978) in river Ravi and Ni (1.000), Zn (.990) and Cr (.978) in river Chenab. The results show the potential of heavy metals from plants in two rivers of Pakistan.