Abstract

This study was concerned with the assessment of soil environment quality and to test the suitability of Atriplex nummularia for bio-indicating of soils heavy metals. To achieve these goals were examined the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Co, Ag and Cr accumulation in the different organs of plants in the context of different soil in Al Najaf- Al Ashraf, Iraq in 2016. The heavy metals in Deserts soil were found to increase in the order of Cr< Ag < Cd < Co leaf for Pb and Cd ; and leaf > root for Co, Ag andCr. The mean (transfer factor from root to stem) TF(Rt/SE) in desert soil for (Pb, Cd, Co and Cr) and the mean (transfer factor from above ground to below ground) TF (AG/BG) for Pb were more than one. Agricultural soil showed that the mean TF(Rt/SE) for (Cd and Cr) and the mean TF (AG/ BG) for Co were more than one. The higher transmission ratio of this metal in Atriplex nummularia shoots make it suitable for phytoextraction from soil. There was a significant linear correlation between the concentration of heavy metals in the root of Atriplex nummularia and that in the soil. This result suggests that Atriplex nummularia can be regarded as bio-indicator for heavy metals pollution of soils.