TITLE:
Evaluation of Nutrients and Trace Metals and Their Enrichment Factors in Soil and Sugarcane Crop Irrigated with Wastewater
AUTHORS:
Mohammed Abdullah Alghobar, Sidduraiah Suresha
KEYWORDS:
Heavy Metals, Wastewater, Sugarcane, Enrichment Factor
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.3 No.8,
October
16,
2015
ABSTRACT: The study
was conducted to investigate enrichment factor of wastewater (WW) irrigation to
agricultural soils and the bioconcentration factor of trace metals uptake by
sugarcane and to determine the concentrations of nutrients in sugarcane by
growing the same on a contaminated soil, during the growth period of crop in
Vidyaranyapuram area in the South West of Mysore, Karnataka. The concentrations
of macronutrients and trace metals in the soil sampled sugarcane crop were
found highly significant in Ca, Mg, K, Na, N, Mn, Cu, Ni and Cr. The enrichment
factor was maximum for N and Na, and the values of N and Na were in the
significant enrichment category. Whereas the values of following elements (K,
P, Ca, SO4, Cu, Cr, Mg, Mn, Ni, Cd, Fe, Pb, Cl, Co and Zn) in soil
irrigated with WW were in moderate enrichment category. The mean concentrations
of N, P, K, Ca, Na, Fe, Mn, and Pb in sugarcane leaves in wastewater treatment
crops were significantly higher than those with ground water (GW) treated which
showed the lowest concentrations. Calculation of the bioconcentration factor
(BCF) indicated that the accumulation of heavy metals in sugarcane crop was in
the order Cd > Zn > Co > Pb > Mn > Ni > Cu > Cr > Fe.
Pearson’s correlation coefficient indicated the relationship between different
elements content in soil and plant. The results showed that the elements, Ca,
Mg, Na, K, N, P, Mn, Zn and Cr, were significantly positively correlated,
between the soil and the plant.