STUDY OF CONTAMINATION AND ACCUMULATION OF SOME HEAVY METALS IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS AND DURUM WHEAT OF INDUSTRIAL ZONE IN ANNABA (NORTHEAST ALGERIAN)

Abstract

The present work intends to assess the degree of contamination and accumulation of soils and different parts of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf) of the industrial area of El Hadjar (extreme north-east of Algeria) by the heavy metals: copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), the Nickel (Ni), and total chromium (Cr). The objective of this study is to check if metal pollution of the soils generated by the waters of the Seybouse River as and its tributary Meboudja used in irrigation and releases from various industrial activities affect farmland, including the cultivation of durum wheat. To better understand the dynamics of heavy metals in the different backgrounds, both campaigns of sampling distributed on four agricultural stations, surface (0 cm to 20 cm) and depth (20 cm to 40 cm) were conducted in the moths of October and July. Physicochemical analyses: texture, porosity, moisture, pH water, pH KCl, electric conductivity (EC), cationic exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter) were carried out. Series of dosages, by spectrometry of atomic absorption by flame, were performed on soil samples and different parts of wheat: roots, stems, leaves and grains. The results obtained showed a decreasing metal pollution in the soil profile and a decrease of the concentrations of the heavy metals of soils and plants of wheat from the soil control sample. In some plots, average concentrations in Pb in soils exceed the limit value. Heavy metals medium levels in wheat plants are compared to those found in the literature. The liquid effluents and atmospheric industrial, including those of the steel operations as well as agricultural practices inappropriate can be at the origin of this metal pollution.