THE EFFECT OF DUST EMISSION FROM CEMENT FACTORY ON METAL CONTENT OF SOIL AND CROP PARTS AND ON .....

The goal of this study was to see how dust from a cement factory in northwestern Mekelle affected soil fertility and the shape and yields of three commonly grown crops: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and teff (Eragrostis tef.). Three top bulky soil samples were taken from three locations: 500 metres (Site-1), 1000 metres (Site-2) and 1500 metres (Site-3) from the western side of a cement industry, where dust is primarily blown by the wind. A fourth control soil sample was taken 6 kilometres away from the facility in an undamaged area. The soil samples were used in a pot experiment at Mekelle University, which took place in a glasshouse. Standard scales were used to assess morphological and yield parameters such as shoot, root, and spike length, as well as leaf area. AAS and UV spectroscopy were used to determine the concentration of major metals: Ca, K, Na, Mg, Mn, and trace elements: Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Fe in soil and plant parts, respectively. When compared to the control site, the results demonstrated that dust emissions played a significant influence in raising the trace metals content in the soil and, as a result, the trace metals concentration of crop components. Pb, Cu, and Cr levels were found to be high in both clinker feed and clinker, which make up the majority of cement factory dust. With the exception of Cr, the quantities of the other trace metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, and Mo) in the soil were higher than in the cement dust, showing that they had accumulated over time. Pb and Mo levels of 0 to 3 ppm and 8 to 11 ppm, respectively, increased in wheat seed grown from Site-1 to Site-3 as compared to the control site. Zn and Cu levels decreased with distance in the seeds and body parts of barley and Teff crops. In Site-1, the water soluble Cu, Mn, and Cr parts similarly showed higher levels than the other metals in clinker feed, clinker, and soil. In Site-1 and Site-2, barley and Teff exhibited superior shoot length growth and seed count, showing that dust may play a favourable impact in crop growth and yield. Wheat had the strongest connections between chemical and morphological indicators, followed by barley and Teff. As a result of the dust generated by the cement factory, the trace metal level of grains planted near the cement plant increased.

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