A Study on the Heavy Metal Contents of Soil and Rice in the Kum River Basin

Kim, Young Oh; Yoo, Hyung Yul; Lee, Jae Hyung; Ki, No Suk; Hwang, In Dam

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the heavy metal contents and their correlations between paddy soil and brown rice near the Kum-River area. In this study, eighty soil samples and forty brown rice samples were taken from the paddy soil. The contents of heavy metals were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results were as follows: 1. The average contents of soluble heavy metals in surface soil were Cd 0.19, Cu 15.31, Zn 18.10 and Pb 9.08 ppm. The average contents of soluble heavy metals in subsurface soil were Cd 0.19, Cu 14.52, Zn 17.75 and Pb8.11 ppm. There wan no statistically significant difference between the two layers. 2. The contents of Cu, Zn and Pb of Taejeon(S6) and Cd of Sinbyung(S5) in surface soil were higher than those of other areas. The contents of Cd and Cu of Taejeon(S6) and Zn and Pb of Kumnam(S3) in brown rice were higher than those of other areas and four heavy metals in soil and brown rice of Simchon(S7) were lower than those of other areas. 3. The ratio of soluble contents(Cd : Cu : Zn : Pb) in surface soil was 1 : 79 : 93 : 47, that of soluble contents in subsurface soil was 1 : 79 : 94 : 43, and that of total contents in brown rice was 1 : 84 : 294 : 12. 4. The correlations of the content between soluble heavy metals in surface(0-15 cm depth) soil total heavy metals in brown rice was found to be order of Cd>Cu>Zn>Pb. The correlations of the content between soluble heavy metals in subsurface(20-30 cm depth) soil and total heavy metals in brown rice was found to be order of Cu>Cd>Zn>Pb.