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Treatment of Cr³⁺ contaminated soil by solid tea wastage I. A study of physiological Processes of Vigna radiata

Rafia Azmat^1*, Yasmeen Akhter², Tehseen Ahmed³ AND Sara Qureshi¹

Abstract: This study describes the option of using domestic tea waste in soil contaminated with the Cr³⁺ trace metal due to industrial and mine activity, continuously discharging in the land and aquatic resources. This disposal of industrial wastage without proper treatment is responsible for the lowering of crop productivity with the accumulation of essential and non essential trace metals in the plants. On the other hand domestic waste management in soil and aquatic resources are also accountable for the reduced field productivity. This research discusses the proper domestic waste management in the agriculture land for the cultivation of crop in the contaminated soil. Vigna radiata has been selected as a crop to check the effects of Cr³⁺ and its deletion in the contaminated soil. The highest yield was obtained when soil was mixed with tea wastage instead of spreaded tea wastage. Seed germination, morphology and physiology of 15 days old plant showed remarkable improvement in the plant growth including seed germination with activated tea wastage in the presence of Cr³⁺ as compared to those plants which were grown in Cr³⁺ contaminated soil only. Biochemical analysis of seedling showed an increase in the concentration of chlorophyll, carbohydrates, protein and amino acids, which confirms the remediation of contaminated soil through tea wastage. It was concluded that proper use of domestic waste can be helpful to increase the soil fertility and can concentrate the heavy toxic metals in it through complex formation.

^1,3Department of Chemistry, ²Department of Botany

^1,2Jinnah University for Women 5C Nazimabad 74600 Karachi,  Pakistan

³University of Karachi, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author‘s E-mail: rafiasaeed200@yahoo.com