Effect of Mining Activity in Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Soil and Plant (Urtica dioica L)

Contamination of soil and water by various heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Fe is increasing day by day as a result of different activities, such as industrialization and urbanization. Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Nickel (Ni) are examples of potential heavy metals that are neither essential elements nor have any role in the process of cell metabolism, but are easily absorbed and accumulated in different parts of a plant and living beings. This study was to investigate the translocation and bioaccumulation of heavy metals such as Pb, Ni, Cd, Cu, and Fe in Urtica dionica L and soil samples from 2 sites (uncontaminated – Koliq and contaminated – Kishnica in the Republic of Kosovo). The results revealed that in the contaminated site, the mean level of all the metals in soil and different parts (root, stalk, and leaf) of the plant were found to be significantly (p < 0.01) higher than the uncontaminated site. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the distribution of metals within the study area. The trace metal contents from different parts of these plants were determined by the use of AAS. The results revealed that Urtica dionica L. translocated high amounts of metals to its organs, especially to leaves, so that translocation factors were much higher than one (> 1). However, these concentrations of heavy metals in the soil and Urtica dionica L were higher than levels specified according to the standards in UK and Germany.