Heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils and accumulation in plants growing near of Dumpsite of Ghazaouet (West of Algeria)

Heavy metal pollution of soil enhances plant uptake causing accumulation in plant tissues and eventual phytotoxicity and change of plant community. In general, the transfer of heavy metals from the former sites of industry activity Alzinc in Ghazaouet (west of ALGERIA) to the near agricultural soils is a serious and major environmental risk. The extent of contamination of soil by heavy metals and their accumulation in plants around the waste dumpsite ALZING is was our objective study. Plants and the surrounding soils were sample from different directions at increasing distance from the vicinity of the waste dumpsite and their concentrations of heavy metals were determined. The levels of Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, Cd, Mn, Cr, Fe, Mo and As in mg/kg dry weight ranged from :7.95 - 56.02, 6.48 – 78.67 and 3.35– 62.38 ; 119.17 - 539.01; 138.38 - 272.27 and 153.61 - 303.74 ; 5.12 - 34.70, 0.12 – 6.45 and 0.15 - 2.04 ; 5.57 - 29.65, 3.76 - 28.76 and 3.68 - 25.40 ; 1.97 - 24.15, 0.74 – 7.74 and 0.70 - 3.22 ; 74.77 - 677.25, 30.43 - 42.35 and 15.83 - 36.10 ; 6.12 - 65.05, 0.25 - 3.56 and DL - 7.63; 3915 – 29750, 150.45 - 894,04 and 102.65 - 857.97 ; 5.42 - 5.61, 0.13 - 0,98 and DL - 0.37; 3,80 – 50,60 , 0.54 - 1.54 and DL- 1.05 in soil, plant roots and plant sheets, respectively. The plant samples from the immediate environment of the waste were highly contaminated with Zn, Cd and Mn. Three plant species: Grape, Artichoke and Pepper, particularly, grape met some of the conditions to be classified as accumulators for Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd and Fe, consequently, she revealed a health risk for human and livestock due to the spread of the metal pollution from waste dumpsites to agricultural areas.