Assessment of Lead, Zinc and Cadmium Contamination in the Fruit of Palestinian Date Palm Cultivars Growing at Jericho Governorate

Abstract

Phoenix dactylifera L. fruits was studied to assess whether the fruits were safe for human consumption and evaluating the date fruit as a bio-monitor of heavy metals pollution in Palestine. Hence, current research explored the toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Zn) levels in thirty-five date varieties collected from three locations (NARC, DH and ADS) of Jericho by applying anatomic absorption spectrometry. Mean values of heavy metals were calculated and expressed. the concentrations of heavy metals in date fruits flesh part were relatively higher as compared with the concentration of fruit washing residue. Heavy metals in the date palm fruits collected from NARC station (in the city center) reveals that the values are higher than ADS and DH stations (far away from the city center) due to higher human activity and higher vehicular traffic. Results of this study, reveals that most of studied heavy metals are within safe limit with respect to maximum allowable levels (MAL) in some date cultivars.

Determination of heavy metals in the dates (P. dactylifera L.) of Balochistan (Panjgoor and Turbat)

“…The date palm is widely dispersed globally including Africa, Asia, Arabian countries, and the Middle East. 1 Pakistan is the world's fifth largest date producer. 74.80 thousand hectares area of Pakistan is under dates palm which yield of 426.80 thousand tons of dates.…”

Microalgae and Biochar Agro-Fertilization of the Palestinian Rehan Barley Cultivar under Salinity Stress

“…Moreover, soil contamination by xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals is one of the main challenges to agriculture worldwide. Recently, quarries and their landfills have been recognized as source of soil contaminants [2,8], for example, causing high alkalinity in the soil [9]. It is desired to reclaim quarry land for agriculture, which generates a need to replenish or ameliorate those substrates.…”