Heavy Metal Accumulation in Plants: A Case Study of Ipomoea reptans and Helianthus annuus

Heavy metal accumulations in edible plants are commonly reported by scientist to alert the public on potential risks of toxicity effects. The study was conducted to determine the heavy metal accumulation in different part of the plant tissue namely Ipomoea reptans and Helianthus annuus. Spent batteries were utilized as the source of contamination with natural leaching process. Results indicated that the accumulation of heavy metals in the two plants were low and below the limit of European Union Standard for edible plants. However, since the experiments were conducted for the period based on the maturation of the plants, longer exposure may result with different outcome.