Trace Metals in Soil and Plants around a Cement Factory in Pretoria, South Africa

摘要

Rapid economic development across South Africa in recent decades has necessitated massive construction and building works, resulting in an increased demand for cement production. This has set cement factories all over South Africa to operate at maximum capacity in a bid to meet market demands. The present study investigated the concentrations of trace metals in soil and plants around a cement factory (PPC) in Pretoria, South Africa. Soil sampling was carried out around the cement factory during winter and summer periods, while plant sampling was only carried out during the summer period. Thirty soil samples were collected in different directions - southwest (SW), southeast (SE), and northeast (NE) of the sites. Plant samples were also collected from these different directions. The result showed that soil pH was in the acidic medium and ranged from 5.12 +/- 0.21- 5.67 +/- 0.23. There was a significant difference in the concentrations of trace metals from the different directions (p<0.05).