Variation of Cadmium and Zinc Content in Rice and Soil of the Mangyeong River Area

To investigate differences in Cd and Zn contents of paddy soils and rice plants polluted by the municipal and industrial waste water in the Mangyeong River Area, soil and plant samples were collected at several distances from the main inlet and at different depths of the soil. Soil samples were extracted with and plant samples were digested with a mixture of and for analyzing heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The contents of Cd and Zn in soils ranged from 0.38 to 1.17 and from 33.8 to 464.6mg , respectively. The average Cd level in 1990 was less than that in 1982, but the Zn level in 1990 was higher than that in 1982 in general. No variation in Cd contents was observed in soils at the different distances from the source of waste water, but Zn contents in soils were lower with the increasing distances from the source of waste water. A significant correlation was observed among Cd content, OM, available silicate, CEC and . Similar results existed among Zn content of 1982, OM and . The Cd content in subsurface soils of 1992 was significantly correlated with Zn, Cu, and Pb in soils, and the Zn content in soils was significantly correlated with the Cu and Pb in soils, regardless of years. The Cd content in leaf blades of rice was more than seven times higher than that in brown rice. The Zn content in rice was higher than that in leaf blades and in panicle axis. The Cd content in panicle axis and the Zn content in all parts of rice were correlated with Zn, Cu and Pb contents in soils. The Cd and Zn contents in brown rice ranged from 0.10 to 0.90mg and from 4.2 to 95.9mg in the Mangyeong River Area, respectively.