The effects of Behbahan cement factory activity on the absorption of some nutrients and biochemical responses in herbaceous plants Sinapis arvensis, Malva neglecta and Bromus tectorum

The cement production activities leads to the release of different pollutants into the environment. This research was conducted to study the effects of dust particles released by Behbahan cement factory on the absorption of some nutrient elements and biochemical parameters in dominant herbaceous species grown in this area, including Bromus tectorum, Malva neglecta and Sinapis arvensis. Plant samples were transferred to the laboratory. Then, the concentrations of some nutrient elements, such as Fe, Cu, Zn, K, Mn, P and N, were assayed in plant and soil samples. Moreover, some biochemical parameters, such as photosynthetic pigments, total protein, soluble carbohydrates, proline, relative water content, leaf pH total ascorbate and air pollution tolerance indexes (APTI), were evaluated. Based on these results, it is supposed that three plant species are tolerant to air pollution with an APTI higher than 16. In addition, it seems that the dust released by the cement factory has not led to a toxic accumulation of the elements in the studied plants. The deficiency of Mn and P was determined for three plant species. On the basis of biochemical analysis, it is supposed that these plant species possibly use different strategies to tolerate the pollutants in this area.