The Concentration of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn Heavy Metals in Plants Along the Highway Between Ramtha and Mafraq

Abstract

The contamination of plants with heavy metals is a serious environmental problem. Existence of heavy metals in animal or human body over risk levels is toxic and causes different diseases. In this study, the concentration of four heavy metals; cadmium Cd, copper Cu, lead Pb and zinc Zn, in four wild plants is investigated at four different sites (10km apart) along the highway between Ramtha city and Mafraq city along the northern borders of Jordan with Syria. These plants are Stipa gigantean or Stipa grass, Trifolium resupinatum (Nafal), Anabasis aphylla (Ashnan) and Anabasis_setifera (Sheran). The results show that the investigated plants have high contamination levels by these metals at three sites, while the fourth site has lower concentration level than the others.

Keywords: Heavy metals, risk level, contamination.