Heavy Metals (Pb and Ni) Pollution as Affected by the Brick Kilns Emissions

The effect of brickworks emissions on heavy metal content of soil and plants around the brick kiln chimneys was studied in 2009-2010. The research was carried out on Peshawar Ring Road’s south direction between chimneys of bricks preparation that were named A and B with distance of 300 m. The kilns were positioned such that Southern direction of chimney of A was north for the chimney B. A total of 36 (18+18) soil and wheat leaf samples were collected in four directions. Samples were collected at varying distances (100, 200,300 meters) from chimneys. Similarly, samples of dust were also collected for analysis of heavy metals in available locations around the chimneys in 16 plastic buckets. They were placed 3 m high from ground. The laboratory analysis of wheat leaf samples showed that the concentration of Pb and Ni in chimney A and B as 2.90 and 1.8, 13.11 and 14.7 mg kg^-1 respectively. The concentration of Pb and Ni at this stage is not in toxic range however with the continuous addition may pose a severe threat in future. Similarly, soil sample analysis revealed AB-DTPA extractable Pb and Ni for chimney A and B as (0.11- 0.13, 14.2 and 15.0 mg kg^-1) respectively. Here again the Pb and Ni do not show toxicity, yet it cannot be ignored for future with persistent addition. Likewise, the collected dust samples showed a huge load of pollution amounting to 23.8 to 46.0 g m^-2 month-1 (dustfall 50 m away from chimney). The samples collected for dust indicated that Ni and Pb are absorbed by the surroundings at the rate of 1.35 and 0.09 mg m^-2 month^-1, respectively just 50 m away from chimney of brick kilns.