Evaluation of Some Heavy Metal Contamination in Malva parviflora L. Plant and Soil Obtained from Gardens of College of Agriculture-University of Baghdad

Abstract: Heavy metals are given significant interest throughout the globe due to their toxic, mutagenic effects even at very low concentrations. Several cases of human diseases, disorders, malfunction and malformation of organs due to metal toxicity have been reported. Reports indicate that lead, cadmium and chromium may cause a wide variety of changes in biological systems, even at very low concentrations. Samples of different parts of Malva parviflora L. (leaves, stems and roots) and associated soils collected with increasing distance of 5, 25, 50, 100m from the gardens surrounding the chemistry labs in college of agriculture university of Baghdad in Abu Ghraib region in Baghdad. The parts of Malva parviflora L. (leaves, stems and roots) and the soil samples at depth 0-20cm were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy after chemical treatment using acid digestion procedures, the pH and the electric conductivity of the soil were also measured. The concentrations Pd, Cr and Cd in the soil and plant of Malva parviflora L. were compared with the maximum allowable limits in different countries and they were beyond the maximum allowable limits in the plant samples but in the soil samples they were below the maximum allowable limits in the case of cadmium and below but very close to the maximum allowable limits of lead and chromium. Key words: Malva parviflora L., heavy metal contamination, soil, plant