https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2015.021
Published: Kem. Ind. 65 (7-8) (2016) 375–378
Paper reference number: KUI-21/2015
Paper type: Preliminary communication
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Influence of Soil pH and Addition of a Complexing Agent on the Cadmium Content in Certain Plants

F. Bikić and A. Pašalić

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of soil pH and addition of a complexing agent on the cadmium content in certain plants. The soil used for this experiment was taken from the road surfaces, near the Steelworks in Zenica. The soil was complexed with a solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt, Na₂H₂Y, while the soil’s pH was reduced with a solution of aluminium sulphate, Al₂(SO₄)₃. The plants used for the above-mentioned tests were: lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata), grass mixture, clover (Trifolium repens), maize (Zea mays), and nettle (Urtica dioica). The cadmium content in the prepared soil and plants was determined by the ICP-AES spectrometric method, on an atomic emission spectrometer, Perkin Elmer 7000DV. The results of the research indicated that the reduction of the soil’s pH and complexation of the soil (acid and base) had led to increased accumulation of cadmium in the soil and the aboveground parts of the tested plants.

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Keywords

cadmium, plants, soil, ICP-AES, pH, complexation