Heavy Metal Uptakes by Curry Leaf Tree (Murraya koenigi) in Ultrabasic Soils from Felda Rokan Barat, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Sahibin, A. R.; Razi, I. W.M.; Zulfahmi, A. R.; Tukimat, L.; Jalaludin, A. B. A. K.; Azman, H.; Diyana, M. I. N.
Sains Malaysiana 42(3): 289-299
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0126-6039
Accession: 070693657
The study was conducted in the ultrabasic soil at the Felda Rokan Barat, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. A total of fifteen samples of plants and substrates were taken from the study area by clustering methods. The purpose of this study was to determine the heavy metal concentrations of Fe, Ni, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb in the soil and the roots, stems and leaves of the plant. Biological absorption coefficient (BAC) was determined by calculation. Heavy metal concentrations in the plants were extracted by wet digestion and the concentration in the soil were extracted by sequential extraction method. Heavy metals in soil and plant extract solution were determined using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). The results showed that Fe concentration was the highest among heavy metals in the substrates of the curry leaf plant Murraya koenigi followed by Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb with mean concentrations of 1699.64 mg/kg, 532.59 mg/kg, 212.43 mg/kg, 195.02 mg/kg, 174.97 mg/kg, 48.11 mg/kg, 43.86 mg/kg, 3.65 mg/kg and 0.48 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of available heavy metals for Mn and Pb in the soil were higher than that of other available heavy metals based on the percentage. Fe and Mn concentrations were high in all parts of the plant. However, based on the heavy metal cumulative average of BAC, only Pb showed a slightly higher enrichment value in the plant. This study showed that curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigi) is not a plant that accumulates heavy metal based on its low BAC values.