Influence of wind direction on the level of trace metals in plants collected around a quarry site in South Africa

Abstract

Industrialization has resulted in the release of pollutants, especially trace metals, to the environment, which adversely affects the ecosystem. The present study investigated the influence of wind direction on the level of trace metals deposited on vegetation around the quarry site. Three plants common to the four cardinals of the quarry site, precisely 10 meters away, were collected and transported to a laboratory, where further analyses were carried out to determine the trace metal contents in the air-dried unwashed plants. The plants collected from the southwest direction, which represents the position of the stack that emits smoke from the quarry site, recording the highest trace metal concentration. The result of the plant analysis for trace metal concentration showed that Lantana camara among the three plants bio-accumulated most of the trace metals from the quarry site and other adjoining environment. The levels of trace metals from the plants exceeded the acceptable limits for human and livestock consumption. The study therefore concluded that wind direction and the position of the stack played a significant role in the amount of trace metals around the quarry site.