BY

Large areas of ex-mining lands in Southern Perak, Malaysia, are used for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits and tuber crops due to the shortage of land for agricultural productions. These areas have been cultivated for more than 20 years. Recent studies have reported that ex-mining land used for the cultivation of tuber crops and some fruits were found to be contaminated by heavy metals. Heavy metals concentrations may be high due to the use of high amounts of organic fertilizers (chicken dung) and agrochemicals (fertilizers, pesticides). There is a growing concern and awareness amongst consumers that long term addition of fertilizers may accumulate heavy metals in soil and taken up by tuber crops grown in the ex-mining lands. Heavy metals are known to cause detrimental health effects to human. Thus, a study concerning heavy metals contamination on tuber crops cultivated on ex-mining lands had been conducted. iii Four major cultivation areas were selected for this study namely; Kg. Bahar