transport of heavy metals in materials with diameter analogous to xylem vessels

in vascular plants, the soil solution is transported from the roots to the leaves through smalldiameter vessels found in the xylem; this transport not only allows the nutrient uptake but also the accumulation of heavy metals in their shoots. by analogy to this phenomenon, the present study aimed at the evaluation of heavy metals transport (pb, cr, as, cd, zn, ni and al) in ph 4 and ph 8 solutions using a capillary siphon consisting of small pore diameter materials. determination of the metal concentration in the solutions was performed by means of inductively coupled plasma. the largest transport of metal ions is produced at ph 4, on ascending order, cr