A study was conducted at Horticultural Research Sub-Station for Floriculture and LandscapingAARI, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during the year 2017. Leaf samples of three ornamental plantspecies viz. Ficus benjamina (black), Bougainvillea glabra and Conocarpus erectus werecollected from seven purposefully selected road sides of city Faisalabad (AARI, Jhang Road,Jail Road, Mall Road, Satiana Road, Jaranwala Road and Samundri Road) and were assessedfor the efficacy to absorb heavy metals from the atmosphere. Measurements of heavy metalswere made in ppm with the help of Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Mixed types of resultswere obtained from these locations. Maximum amount of Fe (358.0 ppm), Zn (12.86 ppm) andCd (0.34 ppm) was absorbed by C. erectus plants, while maximum amount of Cu (9.42 ppm) andCr (8.14 ppm) was absorbed by F. benjamina plants. However, Mn (48.15 ppm) was absorbedmaximum by B. glabra plants. Among roadsides, maximum amount of Mn, Fe and Cd (47.57,487.67 and 0.53 ppm, respectively) was observed in plants selected from Jhang Road sitewhereas maximum amount of Cu and Cr (9.03 and 10.56 ppm) was found at Mall Road site. Apositive correlation was observed between Mn and Fe, whereas Mn and Cr, and Zn and Cu werenegatively correlated with each other.
展开▼