Plant Bioindicators of Pollution in Sadat City, Western Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract

This study investigated using plants growing in industrial and residential areas as bioindicators and biomarkers of industrial pollution by analyzing flavonoids and metals in Bougainvillea glabra leaves by HPLC-MS, neutron activation analysis, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. There were significantly higher levels of flavonoids and phenolic compounds in plants growing in industrial areas compared to those growing in residential zones (P<0.05). Metal accumulation in leaves was also significantly higher in the industrial zone than the residential zone: iron, lead, zinc, nickel, and manganese were present at significantly higher levels in plants growing near steel factories compared to those growing in the residential zone (P<0.05). Air, water, and soil samples associated with the studied plants in both areas were analyzed for metals. In general, heavy metal concentrations in the industrial zone were significantly higher than those in the residential zone, but the concentrations of the heavy metals in air, water, and soil were under legal environmental limits.