Evaluation of heavy metals contaminated soil in relation to leaf characteristics of Ficus nitida leaves at different districts of Alexandria governorate

الملخص EN

The present study was carried out during four seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn (2016).

Three different districts were chosen to identify the occurring pollution and levels of detected pollutants.

These districts were (El-Montazaha, East-district and El-Amereya) districts.

In each one, two areas were selected to determine the degree of prevailing pollutions; one of them resembled heavy polluted area (from factories/ exhaust car parks-etc..,) and the other far from pollution resources, i.e less polluted area.

Whereas from El-Montazaha district; El-Montazaha garden and Abokeir fertilizers factory from East district, El- Shallalat garden and some surrounding, streets; and from Amereya district a Portoland cement factory and a public garden, were chosen for this performed study.

In each of these investigated sites, the similar trees of Ficus nitida were used for detecting the level of occurred pollution, in particular the leaves of this trees could be regard and use as promising clean up technology for variety of accumulating heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium, Nickel, Copper and Zinc) and reduce the environmental pollution.

The experiments were carried out in a split- split plot design with three replicates.

Districts (El-Montazaha, East-district and El-Amereya) were arranged in the main plots, Locations (low and high polluted areas) were arranged in sub plots and Seasons (winter, spring, summer and Autumn) were arranged in sub-sub plots.

The data collected were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the aid of SAS and significant means were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5% probability level.

The results of the study found that El- Montazaha garden was the least area contaminated with heavy elements, followed by El- Shallalat garden and then the garden of Amereya