Effect of brick kilns' emissions on heavy metal (Cd and Cr) content of contiguous soil and plants.

Abstract

The effect of brickworks emissions on heavy metal content of soil and plants around the brick kiln chimneys was studied in the year 2006. Two brick kilns (A and B) about 600 m away from Ring Road at SufaidDheri on southerrn sideofPeshawar, Pakistan were selected for this study. The two bricks kilns were North -South to each other with 300 m distance in between, such that South direction from brick kiln A was north for brick kiln B. Eighteen soil and eighteen plant samples were collected from eighteen different sites at different distances i.e. 100, 200 and 300 m from brick kiln chimney in East, West, North and South direc tions. In addition sixteen dust samples were also collected in plastic buckets installed at a height of 3 m in different directions of the brick kiln chimney. Concentration of heavy metals in plants was determined using the wet acid digestion method. Cd an d Cr concentration in plants for Brick kiln A and B, respectively were (2.03 and 1.9, 5.76and 3.5 mg kg -1 ). Concentration of heavy metals in soil (AB -DTPA extractable Cd, Cr for Brick kiln A and B, respectively were (0.03 & 0.41, 0.10and 0.08 mg kg -1 ).High load of dust with 23.8 to 46.0 g m -2 month -1 at 50 m distance indicated higher pollution near the brick kiln chimneys. Heavy metals in the dust samples showed that Cd and Cr are added into environment with a rate of 0.08 and 0.52 mg m -2 month -1 , respectively at 50 m distance from brick kiln chimney.