Stress induced by soil contamination with heavy metals and their effects on some biomarkers and DNA damage in maize plants at the vicinity of Ferronikel smelter in Drenas, Kosovo

Abstract

The Ferronikel smelter in Drenas is one of the main industrial areas in the Kosovo and pollution by heavy metals causes serious threat for all living organisms on this area. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of some heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb) in agricultural soils and in maize plants, and their potential toxic effects on this plant through some sensitive biochemical and molecular markers. Maize seedlings growth in nine soil samples from different locations of this area. The highest concentrations of heavy metals in soils and maize leaves were conducted close to the Ferronikel smelter, and in some locations, the nickel and chromium concertation in soils exceeded 800 mg kg⁻¹. A significant effects of heavy metals induced toxicity resulted in the, build-up aminolevulinic acid and reduced activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, and chlorophyll content in the maize leaves. In general, maize seedlings growth in polluted locations showed an increase in nuclear DNA content and in G2M phase. We concluded that locations close to the smelter are affected by soil heavy metals pollution and these biochemical and molecular analysis would be a powerful ecotoxicological tool in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution.

Keywords:

• Heavy metals
• soil
• maize
• biomarkers
• DNA content
• cell cycle

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Metin from Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Namik Kemal, Tekirdag, Turkey for his professional assistance in performing the molecular analyzes.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Government of Kosovo, project number 2-249/1.8.