The study was carried out to evaluate the heavy metals accumulation in the stems, leaves and roots of Lactuca sativa (Lettuce) and Spinacia oleracea (Spinach). Pot experiment was conducted to examine the phytoextraction ability of these plants for some heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn) in contaminated soils obtained from an area where indiscriminate burning of waste materials is being carried out beside FCE Katsina. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used for the determination of heavy metals concentrations. The mean levels of metals accumulation evaluated in Lactuca sativa show a higher amount of Fe (47.97 mg/kg) with the lowest amount of Pb (0.44 mg/kg) which follows the order Fe>Zn>Cu>Cd>Pb. Similarly, Spinacia oleracea followed the trend where higher amount of Fe (24.13 mg/kg) with lower Cd (0.25 mg/kg) content was detected, which follows Fe>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was

Rapid industrialization contributes to the rising economic growth rate in Bangladesh. Gazipur district is one of the largest industrial zones in Bangladesh. Every day a huge amount of untreated industrial effluents is produced and delivered to the nearby crop field or water body. These effluents might have influenced the major chemical properties of soils. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the impact of untreated industrial effluents on soil chemical properties expressed through a spatial distribution pattern map of the industrial zone of Gazipur district. A total of one hundred and four agricultural soil samples were collected with grid basis from different unions of the industrial areas of Sreepur and Gazipur Sadar upazilas. In Sreepur upazila, the mean values of soil pH, organic carbon (OC), N, P, S, K, Ca and Mg were 4.85, 0.81%, 0.11%, 6.08 ppm, 26.5 ppm, 0.13 meq/100g soil, 0.53 meq/100g soil and 0.19 meq/100g soil, respectively in uncontaminated soil, while the mean values of soil pH, OC, N, P, S, K, Ca and Mg were 5.15, 1.96%, 0.23%, 14.2 ppm, 187.61 ppm, 0.15 meq/100g soil, 0.64 meq/100g soil and 0.2 meq/100g soil, respectively due to industrial contamination. In both the upazilas, soil pH was strongly to slightly acidic while soil organic carbon was low to medium and N content was low. A weak spatial variation was detected for soil pH and N in these industrial areas indicating less influence on both the parameters by the effluents. Similarly, the contents of K, Ca and Mg were low in most of the areas of these two upazilas and a very little or no spatial variation was observed. On the other hand, OC and P contents were low to medium whereas S content was high in most of the study areas. Ann. Bangladesh Agric. (2022) 26 (1) : 15-28

Soils of the Low Ganges River Floodplain encroaching Faridpur district of Bangladesh have immense contribution to crop production, while little information available focusing the spatial variability of trace elements in the area. Therefore, the study was conducted to quantify the trace elements collecting a total of 122 representative soil samples from rice fields of Faridpur district. Soil samples were analyzed and found that Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and B were ranged from 0.80-6.80, 24–295, 10–129, 0.12–2.20 and 0.5-9.05 ppm, respectively. The pollution indexes are noteworthy features which revealed that only Mn may exhibit a risk for environmental pollution. The concentrations of trace elements, pH and organic carbon in soils displayed a significant spatial diversity because of anthropogenic and geogenic contribution. The distribution maps of soil pH, organic carbon and trace elements might be useful to farmers, researchers and planners in designing and planning agricultural programs in the study area.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(2): 71-78 2016

Soil quality is essential for sustainable crop production. Excessive or deficient in necessary chemical elements in soil is a concern for soil quality. The study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of chemical industrial wastewater on chemical properties of soil and observe spatial distribution of nutrients in paddy soil adjacent to a chemical industry. A command area comprising a paddy field exposed to a chemical industrial wastewater was selected to study and 10 composite soil samples including a control (not exposed to wastewater) was collected and analyzed. Compared to background values soil pH, OC, N, P, Ca, and S were found higher in contaminated soils through the industrial wastewater. The order of the increment of the nutrients in the contaminated soil was as N>P>S>OC>Ca>Na. Sulphur and Nitrogen pose as potent elements for toxicity or pollution of the soil exposed to untreated wastewater. Differential spatial variations were observed for various nutrients in the area. Highest spatial variation was observed for S, N and B followed by P, K, Ca, Mg and Na might be due to anthropogenic activities through industrial untreated wastewater. These issues need to be taken into consideration while recommending fertilizers for crops grown in this type of command area.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(2): 85-90 2016