The assessment of air and soil as contributors of some trace metals to vegetable plants. I. Use of a filtered air growth cabinet.

The sources of heavy metals in a number of consumer crops were investigated in the laboratory by growing plants in a dual growth cabinet supplied with both clean and ambient air. Under these conditions, plants were exposed separately to filtered and normal ambient air to assess the influences of soil and atmosphere on the accumulation of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr and Ni. Radish, carrot, pea, spinach and lettuce plants were successfully grown in the cabinet. Analysis of the metals in the plant tissues showed that the foliar route is potentially of similar importance to the soil-root pathway as a route of transport to the exposed parts of the plants. Whilst the exposed parts showed the highest metal accumulation from the air, the levels of metals in fruits and storage roots resulting from foliar translocation of the airborne component appeared to be low generally. The metal which achieved highest translocation from foliar deposition was Pb. The effect of spraying plants with rain-water was to enhance slightly the total content of all trace metals analysed.