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ABSTRACT
Abelmoschus esculentus was grown from seeds in soil polluted with a mixture of heavy metals; cadmium and lead in the ratio 1:1. The experiment consisted of control and four treatment concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100mg/kg) in three replicates. Data for growth parameters (seedling emergence, plant height, number of leaves, leaf loss, leaf area, stem girth, number of flowers and fruits) were collected weekly for 3 months. The experiment lasted for a period of 5 months. Physico-chemical and heavy metal analysis were carried out on soil samples at the end of the experiment. The leaf, root and fruit of plant samples were also analyzed for heavy metal content at this time. There was significant difference between control and the 75mg/kg and 100mg/kg treatment at day 6 with percentage emergence values of 77.1%, 82.9%, 65.7%, 60% and 57.1% for control, 25mg/kg, 50mg/kg, 75mg/kg and 100mg/kg respectively. There was a decrease in the nutrient composition of samples analyzed. The uptake of the metals was in the order Pb > Cd, with the highest accumulation recorded in the root; 1.58 Pb and 0.25 Cd, and the least accumulation recorded in the fruit; 0.26 Pb and 0.13 Cd.
