Heavy metals level of medicinal plants collected from selected district in Khyber-Pakthtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The toxic metal contents of common medicinal plants collected from Dir Lower a hilly area in KPK Pakistan were analysed. All the selected heavy metals were detected in almost all the samples. Co concentration ranged from 0.24-4.58 ppm, Cr from 0.59-5.1 ppm, Cu from 0.86-3.17 ppm, Mn from 7.52-23.38 ppm, Ni from 0.96-4.78 ppm, Pb from 13.45-2.33 ppm, Sb from 7.44-19.69 ppm, Zn from 2.42-48.86 ppm, Fe from 27.68-139.20 ppm, respectively in different herbal plants. Amongst the screened plants samples Boehraria diffusa was found to be heavily contaminated followed by Verbascum thapsus, Melia azedarach L., Berberis lyceum Royle, Nicotiana affinis and Datura alba. The analysed metals concentrations were found higher than the WHO permissible limits in majority of plant samples. The order of distribution with respect to concentration of the selected metals was Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Co >> Cu > Cr > Ni > Sb.