Assessment of Lead and Zinc Profile from Vehicle Emission in Roadside Fodder Plants

Abstract

Due to increasing population and increasing number of automobiles the fodder samples were collected from Khushab District along the roadside to examine the heavy metal contamination. It was a serious issue because animals consume these contaminated fodders and then they enters the food chain where they cause toxicity. Five fodder plants Pennisetum glaucum, Trifolium alexandrinum, Saccharum officinarum, Zea mays and Brassica compestris were selected for sampling. The sampling of selected fodder plants and their soil was done during November which was the driest season of Khushab city and the dust and smoke was present on the fodder plants. The samples were air and oven dried. Then subjected to digestion. Acid digestion was done with Nitric acid (HNO3), Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Hydrogen chloride (HCL). The samples become transparent and the heavy metal analysis of both soil and fodder samples was done through Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AASP). Lead and zinc heavy metals were analyzed. The pollution load index was lower than 1 which indicates that there was low concentration of metal in soil of the collected samples of the current study. It was obtained that the soil was less polluted. The daily intake of metals was lower than 1 that concluded that they were at safe limit during consumption. The present study showed the enrichment concentration of metals greater than 1 it means these metals were present in both soil and fodder samples growing near roadside.