Investigation of Concentration of Heavy Metals in Lead, Nickel, Arsenic and Cadmium in Soil, Parsley Vegetables and Downstream of Karun River

The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of lead, nickel, arsenic and cadmium heavy metals in edible vegetables Petroselinum crispum and Anethum graveolens and soil in downstream Karun River lands in 2018. The number of studied grafts in the lower reaches of the river and sampling during the period of 2 months from April to May, which 48 plant and soil samples from these fields were collected, and digestion of plant tissues using the Jackson method and Soil digestion was also performed using the EPA3050 method. The lead concentration was 628.77± 32.50 and 748.40 ± 57.45 mg/kg, respectively, in the soil under cultivation of Petroselinum crispum and Anethum graveolens. In plants, lead with 667.68±85.67 and 678.80±53.70 mg/kg in both Petroselinum crispum and Anethum graveolens plants had the highest concentrations. Cadmium, nickel and arsenic in the soil and plant were next rank. The concentration of two cadmium and lead metals in the soil under shrubs Anethum graveolens was higher than the Petroselinum crispum cultivar. The comparison of the heavy metal concentration with the global standard showed that only the soil nickel was within the WHO standard and that the other metals exceeded the standard. In the case of plants Petroselinum crispum and Anethum graveolens the levels of nickel, lead, arsenic and cadmium were not within the permitted range. Comparison between the concentration of heavy metals between soil and plant shows that the concentration of metals between soil and plant Petroselinum crispum and Anethum graveolens was not significantly different. According to the results of this study, the use of Petroselinum crispum and Anethum graveolens leads to accumulation of high amounts of metals in the human body