Abstract

ACCUMULATION OF FLUORIDE FROM SOIL BY VARIOUS PLANT SPECIES IN THE VICINITY OF FERTILIZER FACTORY, VISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA

K. Prabhavathi Devi, Ch. Sita Bindu, T. Byragi Reddy, K. Basavaiah and P. Vani*

ABSTRACT

Fluoride is one of the main emission components of the fertilizer factory located in the south-west side of Visakhapatnam city, India. To evaluate the fluoride accumulation by plants from the emissions of the factory, fluoride concentration of the soil and plant samples were determined. The maximum fluoride concentration of the soil samples was 404 mg/kg. There were about 15 plant species surviving in the sample site. Among them, four plant species – Suaeda maritima (684mg/kg), Prosopis juliflora (660mg/kg), Brachiaria distachya (789mg/kg), Scopharin dulci (314mg/kg) showed high fluoride concentration without any external damage. To know the extent of accumulation, the same plant species from control area were analysed and result indicated that they were low in fluoride concentration. Generally, it was observed that fluoride accumulation by these four plant species was high and these species could even survive in high fluoride contaminated areas.

Keywords: Fluoride, Fertilizer factory, Accumulation, Plant species.