Uptake of toxic heavy metals by rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivated in the agricultural soil near Zhengzhou city, People's Republic of China.

Higher accumulation of toxic heavy metals in rice grown in agricultural soil may lead to health disorder. A field experiment was carried out to investigate uptake and translocation of Cd, Cr, Pb, As, and Hg by different parts of rice plant in various irrigation regions. The results showed the rice grain contained significantly lower amounts of five metals than straw and root in all sampling sites. Rice root accumulated Cd, As, and Hg from the paddy soil. Moreover, the rice plant transported As very weakly, whereas Hg was transported most easily into the straw and grain among studied heavy metals.