Heavy metals in soils and radish in a mineralised limestone area of Wales, Great Britain

Abstract

Halkyn Mountain, Clwyd, Wales is a limestone area containing lead and zinc ores which were mined until quite recently. A survey of agricultural soils has revealed extensive contamination by cadmium, lead and zinc and, to a lesser extent, by copper. Gardens in the area are also similarly contaminated and the composition of radish grown in the gardens reflects this metal enrichment. Soil levels for both total and plant-available cadmium and lead are unusually high and some radish samples exceeded the statutory limit for lead in food. © 1975.