Lead and Cadmium Contamination of Different Roadside Soils and Plants in Peshawar City, Pakistan

Soil and plant samples were collected from roadside sites (along with primary, secondary and tertiary roads) and reference site to investigate the contamination of soils and old common plant species with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in Peshawar City, Pakistan. All the data were analyzed using ANOVA analysis that showed a significant (P ≤ 0.01) variation in Pb and Cd concentrations in the roadside soils and plants as compared to the reference site. The mean concentrations of Pb and Cd were 53.9 and 6.0 mg kg-1 in soils and 49.1 and 10.9 mg kg-1 in plants, respectively. Significant variation (P ≤ 0.01) in concentrations of Pb and Cd in soil and plant samples along with primary, secondary and tertiary roads might be due to different traffic densities. The highest value (9.4) of metal accumulation index (MAI) was observed for Eucalyptus camaldulensis. In selected plant species, the Pb and Cd accumulation was found in the order of E. camaldulensis > Ficus elastica > Dalbergia sissoo > Alstonia scholaris. The roadside soils and plants were highly contaminated with Pb and Cd as compared to the reference site.