Spectroscopic Determination of Some Trace Elements as Pollutants in Fruit Dates Palm and Agricultural Soils at Zilfi Province

Abstract

Some trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Bi, Cd, Co and Cr,) which could be found as pollutants in fruit dates palm and agricultural soils at Zilfi province was measured using ICP-MS. The area of study, the date palm farms found at Zilfi province, was surfed during September 2013 taking 11 samples of soil from these farms randomly. Also 11 samples of date palm fruit (fully ripe, stage of Tamer) were collected from the same farms. The pH and electric conductivity was measured to the soil samples. (ICP-MS) spectrophotometers were used to determine the concentrations of the elements in both soil and dates (washed and unwashed). The concentration of Ag in all samples was higher the Saskatchewan quality standards for soils .All soil samples were found to be contaminated with As, because all these concentrations of arsenic are more than Saskatchewan quality standards for soils (11(mg/kg)), and SQGE soil quality guideline for environmental health (17(mg/kg). All elements concentrations date fruits samples are less compared to literature elements concentrations. As general the concentrations of these elements are less in washed date samples compared to unwashed ones.

Heavy metals in some date palm fruit cultivars in Saudi Arabia and their health risk assessment

“…Saudi Arabia is the second largest producer of date palm with 1.07 million tons production as compared to other countries. [1] Mineral and some transition metals play important role in health of human beings but surpassing of safety level imposes toxicity, cancer, and even genotoxicity. Among the heavy metals (HMs), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), boron (B), and metalloids are considered to have bad impact on health and agriculture.…”