Investigation of Heavy Metal Contents in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Peristrophe roxburghiana Collected from Northwest of Guangxi

Objective] This study was conducted to evaluate the product quality and safety of Peristrophe roxburghiana_ col ected from different places in Hechi City, northwest of Gunagxi, so as to provide basic data for further development and uti-lization of the characteristic plant resource P. roxburghiana. [Method] Contents of 9 kinds of heavy metals including Cd, Mn, Pb, Zn and Cu in the herb were deter-mined by the method of wet digestion-flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, respectively. [Results] Heavy metal contents of Cd, Mn, Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Hg and Se were 1.62-17.25, 8.93-142.53, 4.37-18.43, 103.7-242.81, 2.55-5.35, 85.40-146.30, 0.07-0.54, 0.00-0.08 and 0.00-0.47 mg/kg, respectively. According to the national food safety standards and Green Trade Standards of lmporting ＆amp; Exporting Medicinal plants ＆amp; Preparations, the heavy metal contents of the P. roxburghiana_samples col ected from different coun-ties in Hechi City exceeded standards or at the critical values. Among which, Cd, Pb and Zn contents of the samples are seriously higher than the standards. [Con-clusion] Therefore, the impact of soil heavy metal pol ution on the safety of edible plants in the northwest of Guangxi should be highly concerned.

Investigation and Evaluation on Soil Heavy Metal Contents in Fruit Producing Area in Baise City,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

[Objective] This study was conducted to investigate heavy metal conditions in fruit producing area in Baise City, Guangxi Province. [Method] Heavy metal contents in 106 soil samples collected from fruit producing area in Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi Province were analyzed, and soil heavy metal pollution condition in this area was estimated applying single factor index method and Hakanson＇ potential ecological risk index method with reference to the second grade of National Soil Environmental Quality Standard and soil background values of this area. [Result] According to the second grade of National Soil Environmental Quality Standard, soil heavy metals in this fruit producing area is at the level of no pollution; and the total potential ecological risk pollution risk （RI） of soil heavy metals was 97.7, indicating no risk. [Conclusion] The fruit producing area in Baise City, Guangxi Province is free of heavy metal pollution.

Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Contents in Facility Agriculture of Guangxi

[Objectives]To study the characteristics of soil heavy metal contents in facility agriculture of Guangxi and analyze its risks.[Methods]The heavy metal content of 30 surface soil samples taken from facility agriculture in Guangxi was analyzed.The status of soil heavy metal pollution in facility agriculture of Guangxi was evaluated by the single factor index method,geo-accumulation index method and Hakanson potential ecological risk index method with reference to the soil background value in Guangxi.[Results]Compared with the soil background value in Guangxi,the over-limit rates of heavy metals cadmium,lead,arsenic,chromium,mercury,copper and zinc in soil samples were 56.67%,56.67%,16.67%,30.00%,50.00%,60.00%and 80.00%,respectively.Compared with the screening values of the Soil Environmental Quality-Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land(for trial implementation)(GB15618-2018),the overlimit rates of the heavy metals cadmium,arsenic,copper and zinc in the surface soil of agricultural facilities in Guangxi were 56.67%,10.00%,16.67%and 23.33%,respectively.Except for the average content of soil cadmium exceeding the screening value,the evaluation content of the other six soil heavy metals did not exceed the screening value.According to the evaluation results of the single factor pollution index method,the surface soil arsenic and chromium of the agricultural facilities in Guangxi belonged to the clean level,lead,mercury,and copper belonged to mild pollution,and cadmium and zinc belonged to moderate pollution.According to the evaluation results of the geo-accumulation index,the lead,arsenic,chromium and mercury in the surface soil of the agricultural facilities in Guangxi belonged to the pollution-free level,while the cadmium,copper and zinc belonged to the mild-moderate pollution.According to the evaluation results of the potential ecological risk index method,the potential ecological risks of the heavy metals of lead,arsenic,chromium,copper and zinc in the soil of agricultural facilities in Guangxi belonged to low potential ecological risk level,and the potential ecological risks of cadmium and mercury belonged to moderate risk level.The potential ecological risk index(RI)of the seven heavy metals in the soil was 132.46,which belonged to moderate potential ecological risk.The largest contribution of soil heavy metals to the potential ecological risk index was cadmium and mercury.[Conclusions]Taking the soil of facility agriculture in Guangxi as the object,this paper studied the characteristics of heavy metal content in facility agricultural soil and its risk assessment,in order to provide a scientific basis for facility soil heavy metal risk prevention and control and provide safe technology for facility agriculture.

Physicochemical and elemental studies of Hydrocotyle javanica Thunb. for standardization as herbal drug

Objective: To explore the leaves of Hydrocotyle javanica Thunb. as a source of safe and effective antibacterial herbal medicine.Methods: The standardization was validated by stepwise physicochemical studies,element analysis, determination of ash values, fluorescence analysis, assessment of moisture content, extractive values in different solvent systems and extraction methods.Heavy metal contents, mineral and element contents were analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer and CHNS/O analyser, respectively.Results: The methanol extract of the folklore medicinal plant having antibacterial efficacy contained flavonoids and phenolic OH groups. The ICP multi standard indicated the presence of three major compounds with molecular mass of 161 190 and 221 Da. Heavy metals viz. lead, mercury and copper content were 4.38 ppm, < 0.05 ppm and 24.70 ppm,respectively. Minerals content of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron were 1 190.94 mg/100 g, 375.57 mg/100 g, 2 820 mg/100 g and 340.20 mg/100 g of plant sample, respectively. Elements like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur contents were38.18%, 5.67%, 2.23% and 0.51%, respectively. Heavy metal profile of the tested plant was within the permissible limits of the regulatory authorities.Conclusions: Hence the present physicochemical and elements studies reveals that the plant Hydrocotyle javanica Thunb. could be a potent source of herbal preparation as well as a safe and novel synthetic antibacterial drug.

Quality Assessment of Different Industrial Effluents for Irrigation in Agriculture

A laboratory experiment was undertaken in Soil Science Division of BRRI （Bangladesh Rice Research Institute） during 2010 to assess the quality of industrial effluents and city waste as a source of irrigation water for agriculture. The treatments of the studies were the effluents of five different industrial sources like polyvinyl, dyeing, pharmaceuticals, beverage, tannery, mixed waste water （contaminated with effluents from many industries）, CWW （city waste water） and underground water as control. The industrial effluents, MWW （mixed waste water）, CWW and control water were tested for electrical conductivity, pH, and soluble ions such as Na^＋, Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, K^＋, HCO3-, CO3^2-, NH4^＋-N and H2PO4^-. Micronutrients （Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn） and heavy metals （As, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni） were analyzed from the samples. Beverage industry effluent showed acidic reaction, while the other industrial effluents showed alkaline reaction （pH 7.25-9.07）. Pharmaceutical, dyeing and tannery effluents showed EC of 3.40, 4.30 and 9.49 dS m^-1, respectively, compared to 0.54 dSm^-1 of the control. All the effluents except polyvinyl and beverage effluents and CWW recorded higher carbonate and bicarbonate content than that of control. Industrial effluents and CWW were higher in micronutrient content as compared to control. Dyeing, pharmaceutical and tannery effluents contained 2.51, 3.94 and 4.29 mg L^-1 lead, 0.15, 0.14 and 0.38 mg L^-1 chromium and 0.25, 0.24 and 0.16 mg L^-1 nickel, respectively which might be concemed for health hazard through food chain.

Heavy metal content in scalp hair of the inhabitants near Dexing Copper Mine,Jiangxi Province,China

Levels of seven metals （Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Se） in the scalp hair of Daicun and Xiangtian inhabitants were determined by ICP-MS/AFS. Daicun, as an experimental site, is near Dexing Copper Mine, Jiangxi Province, China, and exposed to mining pollution; Xiangtian, as a control site, is free from any mining and other industrial pollution. The heavy metal distribution in the scalp hair of the two diverse population segments exposed to different environments was discussed against the background of the heavy metal content of local plants, waters, and soils. The results show： 1） Levels ofCu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd in the scalp hair of Daicun inhabitants were higher compared with Xiangtian counterparts which showed higher comparative levels of Se and Mn. But there were no significant differences of the levels of Cu and Zn in the hair samples between the two villages. In the hair of the inhabitants in the two villages, the levels for Se, Zn, and Cu were lower, while the level for Mn was higher, than the corresponding levels from other regions of the world. Compared with the standard issued by the Trace Element Research Council of China for Chinese inhabitants there were serious Se, Zn, Cu and Cr-deficiency phenomena in the hair samples from Daicun and Xiangtian. 2） Against the geological background of high levels ofZn, Cu, Se and Cr, there were deficiencies of Zn, Cu, Se and Cr in the hair samples of the Daictm population. This may have been caused by the distribution forms of the heavy metals in the soils, and antagonism among the elements. 3） Principal Component Analysis （PCA） and Cluster Analysis （CA） indicated that the origins of the heavy metals in the hair samples from the two villages had some differences as well as some similarities, this should be contributed mainly to the influence of the mining activities.