Impact of some industrial solid wastes on the growth and heavy metal uptake of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under salinity stress.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of industrial solid wastes (ISWs) and salinity on growth and heavy metals uptake by cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The soil was treated with 5% and 10% of the ceramic factory (CFW), stone cutting (SCW) and sugar factory (SFW) wastes. Plant of cucumber was grown under greenhouse conditions in control and ISWs treated soils and stressed with electrical conductivities of 0, 4 and 8 dS m-1. Plants were harvested after 2 months and separated into root, shoot, and fruit. Then, dry weights and heavy metals contents in each fraction of plants were determined. The addition of all ISWs in soil increased total heavy metals content in the soil. In all treatments, growth parameters of cucumber decreased when irrigated with saline waters. As compared to control soil, the addition of CFW and SCW to soil decreased plant dry weight, while, it was improved with the addition of the SFW. The result of plant analysis showed that there was an increase in the contents of heavy metals (except Cr) in all parts of cucumber with the addition of ISWs. Salinity decreased the content of Zn uptake and increased another heavy metal uptake by all parts of the plants. The application of ISWs and salinity did not show a significant effect on bioconcentration (BCF) and transfer factor (TF) of heavy metals in plants. The health risk index (HRI) values of all heavy metals for both adults and children were found to be less than 1, so, the health risk of heavy metal for people who consume cucumber grown in these industrial areas was generally assumed to be safe.