Studies on some trace element accumulation in Terminalia bellerica growing on a Cu and Mn mine waste dump

Abstract

The article draws on the search of Indian medicinal plant Terminalia bellerica Roxb of Combretaceae family able to grow in metal-contaminated soil. Malajkhand and Ukwas are famous highland places of Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh state, India for their copper (Cu) and managanese (Mn) mining activities respectively. This plant is naturally growing on the copper and manganese mine waste dump in these places. Copper and manganese content in dump soil, root, heartwood, bark, green leaves and fruits of the plant was determined. Values were compared with similar samples collected from normal vegetation. Copper and manganese distribution in samples collected from the dump site revealed that Terminalia bellerica has a special ability to grow in the contaminated soil with high amounts of cooper and manganese. It was concluded that the average concentration of Cu, Mn and Zn in different plant parts were found under permissible limits in all plant samples collected from all three above mentioned sites.

Keywords :  Terminalia bellerica; Manganese; Copper; mine waste dump.