Heavy metals monitoring on NIPRD Botanical Garden

Study of the level of heavy metals (Copper, Chromium, Lead and Zinc) in soil, organic manure and medicinal plants obtained from NIPRD Botanical Garden was carried out. The objective is to determined level of safety of the Botanical Garden towards realizing safe phytomedicine. Samples were collected, processed and analyzed for the specified heavy metals with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer using standard methods. The results obtained indicated the presence of Cu and Zn in the medicinal plants (8.17±3.36 mg/kg and 34.70±15.20 mg/kg), soil (13.43±1.91 mg/kg and 24.00±4.86 mg/kg) and the organic manure (33.50±0.40 mg/kg and 59.45±0.80 mg/kg), while Cr and Pb were not detected. The mean concentration of Cu and Zn obtained in soil, medicinal plants and organic manure at sampling sites A, B, C and D were below WHO and US (EPA) maximum permissible limits. In conclusion, NIPRD Botanical Garden is not polluted with the studied heavy metals; therefore, it is safe for domestication of medicinal plants.