Increasing environmental pollution in recent decades has made heavy metals a constant threat to living beings. Among these, lead (Pb) is one of the most important, because of the number of contaminated areas, and their deleterious effects on human health. This study aimed to evaluate biomass production and the absorption of micronutrients by horticultural crops grown in a spodosol contaminated by Pb. In addition, the distribution of Pb among the soil fractions and the relationship of these fractions to the availability of Pb to the crops was also studied. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks in a 5x3x4 factorial scheme. The treatments were made up of five levels of Pb (0.0; 20; 50; 72 and 180 mg kg-1 of soil), three species of vegetable (okra, carrot and kale) and four plant parts (root, stem, leaf and edible portions), the last level being equivalent to the investigative value for agricultural soils. According to the results, the Pb promoted a reduction in the dry mass of the carrot and okra, while having no effect on the biomass production of the kale. The Pb affected the concentration of micronutrients in the vegetable organs, a reduction in iron content being observed in the carrot, while in the kale there was an increase in the Zn content of the roots. The Pb presented as preferably adsorbed to the organic-matter fraction. Plants grown in soil contaminated at the investigative levels established by CONAMA, besides showing nutritional imbalance, may become unsuitable for human consumption, due to the high levels of the metal in the edible portions.
Vegetables; Soil-pollution; Plants-effect heavy metal
