Potential health hazards related to the trace metal accumulation in grass samples obtained near industrial area in Tshwane North district, South Africa.

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Arnold Thabang Matlou, Jeffrey Lebepe, Lesibana Sethoga, Dan Molefe This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4400813/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The growing accumulation of trace metals (TMs) from Industrial emissions on vegetation has generated anxiety regarding the integrity of consumable goods by mankind considering that TMs may migrate into the dietary system via accumulation on the grazable grass by domestic livestock. The research project examined the levels of TMs in various grass samples collected near industrial sites in Tshwane District, South Africa, using the ICP-OES technique. The mean concentrations of TMs in the grass samples were in the following order Fe > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cr > Cu > Zn. Moreover, the overall concentrations of TMs in grass were found to be above the permissible limits for plants (4567.2 - 25638.6 mg/kg) Fe, (178.3 - 193.6 mg/kg) Ni, (159.3 - 183.7 mg/kg) Cu, (78.5 - 308.5 mg/kg) Zn, (21.8 - 424.5 mg/kg) Cr, (121.5 - 449.5 mg/kg) Mn, and (19.0 - 689.3 mg/kg) Pb. The research has further indicated that metals obtained from industrial activities have higher possibilities for growth in comparison to metals that originate naturally. By including TMs movement indicators into the ecological evaluation metric, mistakes in determining the true danger of these metals' possible plant uptake and subsequent circulation can be reduced. Accumulation Trace metals industrial areas grass ICP-OES Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Introduction Growing road haulage, growing industrialization, and the extraction and distribution of trace metals (TMs) from natural sources have all undergone chemical transformations into practical forms through technological processes. Metals are taken up from the soil by plants and animals, who then collect them. Some of these metals are referred to be vital trace elements since they are necessary in small amounts for all forms of life to survive. Lead and cadmium are examples of TMs that might cause metabolic abnormalities when they are present in higher concentrations (Oluwole Olowoyo & Lizbeth Mugivhisa, 2015 ). Due to the ability to identify certain metals in minuscule amounts thanks to modern methods, they are of public interest. Public shock and true hysteria have resulted from the impacts of consumption and accumulation on health (Rai et al., 2019 ). Through biological mechanisms, metals are transferred. Certain metals are necessary, and lacking them impairs physiological functions (Meers et al., 2009 ). Excessive levels of critical metals have the potential to be hazardous. When consumed in excess, several metals that are not recognized to perform vital roles may appear as hazardous effects (Nordberg et al., 2014 ). Since these metals are unbreakable, they can bio-accumulate, in contrast to organic compounds that may be removed from tissues by metabolic breakdown. Because certain metals can form inactive compounds or storage, accumulation in tissues does not always indicate the development of harmful consequences (Meers et al., 2009 ). To determine if an element is necessary or not, three variables tend to be employed. It must affect the organism and play a role in its metabolism; without a sufficient supply, the organism cannot develop or finish its life cycle; also, no element can completely replace the original. Consumers are more at risk for health problems from food plants that can withstand large concentrations of potentially dangerous metals than from those that are more sensitive Alloway, 1990). Food plants are often more susceptible to Cu and Zn than to Pb and Cd. The overabundance of both necessary and non-essential metals can have detrimental impacts on plants, animals, birds, and humans throughout the food chain (Djingova et al., 2003 ; Li et al., 2007.; Meers et al., 2009 ). Among the main causes of pollution in cities and along roadsides is vehicular traffic. The decrease in the emission rate has been obscured by the rise in private car traffic. The public's health is at risk due to the appearance and development of additional contaminants that are caused by abrasion and can be inhaled, consumed, or come into contact with contaminated items (Gebel et al., 1997 ; Weggler et al., 2004 ). The study aims to evaluate trace metal accumulation on grass around the Pretoria North industrial area. It was hypothesised that metal concentrations will be high in sites located in close proximity with the industrial area compared to distant sites. Methods and Materials Study design The sampling sites were chosen in such a way that they cover areas where the likelihood of contamination is enormous around an industrial area in the northern part of Pretoria of the Tshwane Metropolitan municipality, South Africa while making sure that the objective of the research was followed. The dominant grass species in the area includes, guinea, common finger, creeping bristle grass, narrow leaved turpentine and spear grass, which are widely grown in these areas and feed the local livestock through the process of grazing, which feed the residing population. The following factors were considered for selection of the sample sites; Sites where probabilities of contamination are higher due to different types of industries. Areas near the highways, to consider the loads of traffic, emission of gases and exhausts. Sites near the densely populated areas. Sites where probability of contamination is higher due to mode and source of irrigation. Study Area The Tshwane North Industrial Area (Rosslyn) is an ideal and centralized location which hosts some of the large automotive OEMs, e.g.: BMW, NISSAN, IVECO, TATA, etc. This industrial area also comprises many industries that manufactures rubber, petroleum-related products, food, truck industries, as well as an associated industry that consist of steel, metals and plastic industries (Fig. 1 ). The area is covered mostly by grassland vegetation wherein the dominant species in the vegetation includes guinea, common finger, creeping bristle grass, narrow leaved turpentine and spear grass. The industrial sector is surrounded by a significant volume of traffic due to the South African National Highway, N4 running through it from the east to the north and the provincial highway route, R566. The heavy flow of both private and commercial traffic as well as other industrial activities, such as tyre and material burning in public areas contribute a lot on the current pollution rates of TMs. Sample Collection and Preparation Forty grass samples were collected in the vicinity of the Pretoria North enterprises. Four grass samples were collected from each sampling location. The samples were taken with their varied roots of up to a maximum extent of 15 cm. They were then labelled and stored in plastic bags before being sent to the Chemistry Research Centre for examination. Distilled water was used to fully remove any remaining dust from the grass samples that had been collected. The samples were then left to dry for about two days at 50°C in a heated oven. The ground grass samples were filtered using a 0.45 µm microporous screen in preparation for further analysis. Chemical Analysis About 0.3 g of the dried grass samples was used for digestion with an aqua-regia, 3 ml of HCl (32%), 9 ml of HNO 3 (65%) supplemented with 1 ml of H 2 O 2 . The solution was brought to a 10 ml volume with distilled water after being exposed to a 2 hours’ heat of up to 150 0 C in an Anton Paar, Multiwave 5000 Microwave reaction platform. In a similar way, the method was repeated two times with a blank digest. The levels of TMs in the digested grass samples were determined in triplicates by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) using an iCAP6000 series instrument (United States Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.). Certified reference materials were used for quality control. The permissible limits prescribed by WHO were used as reference in identifying the most hazardously polluted samples with respective metals. Data Analysis The statistical analysis was carried out using R 4.3.1. Depending on the satisfaction of assumptions, analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-Wallis Test was used to compare concentrations between sites. The relationships between TMs were evaluated with Spearman’s correlation test using Performance Analytics package (Peterson et al., 2018 ). The significance was considered at p < 0.05. Results In the present study, monitoring of selected TMs was carried out in grass samples collected in Tshwane North section near Rosslyn. The results of TM concentrations in grass samples from various sampling sites in the northern section of Tshwane district are shown in Table 1 . All TMs (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Fe) analysed were detected in all samples. The maximum concentration for all the TMs was recorded at S-4 with the value of 25638.6 mg/kg for Fe whereas the lowest concentration for all the TMs was recorded in S-10 of the sample locations for Pb with a value of 19.0 mg/kg. The average concentrations of TMs in the grass samples were in the order Fe > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cr > Cu > Zn. Table 1 Concentrations of Trace Metals (mg/kg) in the grass samples from Tshwane North. Sample Location Trace Metals (mg/kg) Ni Cu Zn Cr Mn Pb Fe S-1 185.5 ± 5.8 174.6 ± 9.1 215.4 ± 49.2 230.6 ± 134.5 217.8 ± 104.4 517.7 ± 608.7 13910.1 ± 8702.6 S-2 184.9 ± 5.4 167.7 ± 27.1 308.5 ± 316.9 419.2 ± 261.3 330.9 ± 185.1 262.2 ± 139.7 11548.9 ± 4832.2 S-3 193.6 ± 6.4 159.9 ± 20.1 185.6 ± 40.5 424.5 ± 147.3 449.5 ± 278.5 689.3 ± 325.1 16880.2 ± 6954.6 S-4 181.2 ± 4.3 159.3 ± 10.7 140.2 ± 37.9 348.2 ± 151.6 370.1 ± 100.1 534.3 ± 411.4 25638.6 ± 26296.4 S-5 181.5 ± 4.3 181.0 ± 7.7 99.1 ± 38.1 85.3 ± 18.8 262.6 ± 18.3 82.1 ± 19.3 14271.7 ± 6477.7 S-6 181.5 ± 4.9 171.9 ± 13.8 95.1 ± 46.6 31.5 ± 33.1 206.0 ± 89.6 52.3 ± 47.6 9626.8 ± 4621.1 S-7 180.3 ± 3.0 183.7 ± 4.2 132.4 ± 35.7 153.5 ± 88.5 239.8 ± 84.5 63.4 ± 34.5 12180.8 ± 3635.3 S-8 178.3 ± 6.1 175.2 ± 2.4 78.5 ± 33.8 68.3 ± 103.1 243.2 ± 42.4 25.8 ± 14.7 9638.4 ± 3515.1 S-9 179.6 ± 4.7 170.4 ± 16.5 139.9 ± 77.4 27.4 ± 23.8 206.0 ± 75.8 87.3 ± 67.3 8140.3 ± 5252.8 S-10 180.6 ± 6.2 176.8 ± 12.3 133.3 ± 88.4 21.8 ± 8.6 121.5 ± 49.1 19.0 ± 11.7 4567.2 ± 2524.3 WHO Limit (1996) 67.9 73.3 60 1.3 500 2 425 The concentration of Nickel (Ni) varied from 178.3 \(-\) 93.6 mg/kg with the highest concentration recorded in S-3 and the least concentration found in S-8 with the reading of 178.3 mg/kg. The overall concentrations of Ni including the minimum recorded value were all significantly higher than the permissible limit prescribed by WHO for Ni in plants which is 67.9 mg/kg. The average concentration of Cu in all the grass samples ranged from 159.3 \(-\) 183.7 mg/kg. The overall concentration of Cu was notably higher than the permissible limit by WHO of 73.3 mg/kg, with the least concentration recorded at S-4 and the maximum average concentration for this relative TM was found in S-7. Zinc (Zn) concentration in grass ranged from 78.5 \(-\) 308.5 mg/kg in the sampling areas. The highest concentration of Zn was observed in S-2 and the lowest was observed in S-8. The results highlighted that the mean concentration of Zn in the grass were higher than the value recommended by WHO (1996). The average concentration of Chromium (Cr) in the grass varied from 21.8 \(-\) 424.5 mg/kg. The results indicated that the lowest concentrations of Cr were found in S-10, 9 and 6, respectively, whereas the maximum concentration of Cr was found in S-3 at a value of 424.5 mg/kg. The mean Cr concentration in the grass samples was extremely higher than the permissible limit recommended by WHO (1996). The results for Manganese (Mn) concentration ranged from 121.5 \(-\) 449.5 mg/kg. The highest concentration of Mn (449.5 mg/kg) was observed in S-3 while the lowest was recorded from in S-10 at a value of 121.5 mg/kg. Nevertheless, the overall concentrations of Mn were still lower than the recommended limit by WHO (1996). The results for Pb concentrations in grass samples ranged from 19.0 \(-\) 689.3 mg/kg wherein the highest value was recorded in S-3 as 689.3 mg/kg and the lowest was recorded in S-10 at a value of 19.0 mg/kg. Even with S-10 recording the lowest amount of concentration for Pb, it was still higher than the permissible limit recommended by WHO (1996). Hence all the analysed samples were considered to be polluted by Pb. The mean concentrations of Iron (Fe) in the grass samples were varying between 4567.2 \(-\) 25638.6 mg/kg as shown the Fig. 2 . The results of Fe concentration in grass from the different sampling sites revealed that Fe concentration was the highest in S-4 at a value of 25638.6 mg/kg wherein the lowest concentration of 4567.2 mg/kg was found in S-10. The mean values for Fe in the grass were higher than the tolerable value prescribed by WHO of the 425.5 mg/kg for plants. Metal concentrations observed in grass in the northern section of Tshwane district are presented in Table 1 . The average concentrations were in descending orders: highest of 25638.6 mg/kg, Fe from S-4 to the lowest value of 19.00 mg/kg, Pb from S-10. A significant difference was observed for Ni (F = 2.84, p < 0.05) with S-3 showing a significantly higher concentration compared to S-7 (p = 0.03), S-8 (p = 0.008), S-9 (p = 0.02), and S-10 (p = 0.03). In contrast, Cu showed non-significant difference between 10 sites (F = 1.1323, p > 0.05). Similar to Cu, Zn exhibited no significant difference between all sites ( X 2 = 14.599, p > 0.05). Nevertheless, a significant difference was observed for Cr (F = 6.99, p > 0.05) with S-2, S-3 and S-5 showing to be significantly higher compared S-5 – S-10 (p 0.05), whereas a significant difference was observed for Pb (F = 4.45, p < 0.05). Site 2 exhibited a significantly higher Pb concentration compared to S-5 – S-10 (p < 0.05) with other sites showing no significant difference. Inter-metal relationship Concentrations for each TM were pooled for correlation analysis. Strong positive and highly significant relationships were observed for Cr-Mn (ρ = 0.70, p < 0.05), Cr-Pb (ρ = 0.75, p < 0.05), Mn-Pb (ρ = 0.63, p < 0.05), Cr-Fe (ρ = 0.68, p < 0.05) and Mn-Fe (ρ = 0.80, p < 0.05) (Fig. 3 ). In contrast, Cu showed significant negative relationships with Zn (ρ = -0.57, p < 0.05), Mn (ρ = -0.52, p < 0.05), and Pb (ρ = -0.49, p < 0.05). Other moderate significant relationships observed were for Zn-Cr (ρ = 0.40, p < 0.05), Zn-Pb (ρ = 0.56, p < 0.05), and Pb-Fe (ρ = 0.52, p < 0.05) (Fig. 3 ). Discussion The concentrations of these TMs in grass followed a similar deposition pattern across sites (Fig. 2 ). Iron (Fe) is the most predominant element followed by Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) all the way to Zinc (Zn), which was the least concentrated element amongst all. The higher concentrations of these TMs in grass samples were relative to the geological orientation of the study area as well as its proximity to mountainous arears, big factories and busy roads. There was an observable decrease in the average concentrations of TMs as sampling sites got further away from the mountainous area and the industrial sites. The excessive levels of these TMs may frequently be linked to a range of industrial activities in grass samples obtained around industrial sites. Such TMs are known to be released into the atmosphere by metal processing factories, where they eventually settle into the soil. Large-scale releases of TMs may seep into the soil as a result of inappropriate disposal of industrial and electronic waste, where plants subsequently absorb them. Furthermore, TM residues found in vehicle exhaust can settle on vegetation and soil. Certain metals can enter the soil as a result of agricultural operations, such as the use of certain fertilisers and pesticides. Last but not least, air deposition is important as dust or rain may carry TMs on their way to grasslands. Inspections of the environment are essential for identifying the precise contributions and degrees of TM pollution in a given location since the quantity of pollutants from various sources also varies. Comparable results were reported by Bai et al., ( 2011 ) on alpine grass around Zoige Basin in China. Residues and bio-solids from fuel combustions and electroplating of metals from industries are potential sources of Ni in the environment (Weggler et al., 2004 ). Thus, the elevated accumulation of Ni in grass on the side way could be an indication that the environment had excess supply of industrial wastes. Copper (Cu) has a significant impact on the production of melanin, immunity, fertility, and the preservation of uniform pigmentation (Mir et al., 2021 ). Moreover, Cu helps keep cholesterol levels low and avoid cardiac arrhythmia, excessive blood pressure, and cell oxidation (Shabbir et al., 2020 ). The body uses copper to make a wide variety of enzymes, many of which operate as antioxidants. Nevertheless, excessive copper intake can lead to malfunctioning enzymes (Dhaliwal et al., 2020 ). Plants need trace amounts of zinc (Zn), an important metal. When present in excessive amounts, Zn can be harmful to plants and cause their leaves to become purplish-red. Zn poisoning results in chlorosis in younger leaves, which spreads to older leaves. The TM, Zn helps the human body grow and develop, but too much of it can cause growth retardation and metal poisoning (Birla Singh et al., 2011; Dhaliwal et al., 2020 ). Cr is a supplementary element without a proper absorption mechanism in crops (Singh et al., 2013 ). The metal itself is not readily absorbed by plants; rather, it builds up through carrier ions like ferrous or sulphate ions. The toxic nature of it inhibits development by disrupting germination, several metabolic processes and photosynthesis as well as lowering the overall production of nutrients. Numerous diseases including Lung cancer, eczema, asthmatic problems, and irreversible sinuses can all result from Cr contamination (Mulaudzi et al., 2017 ). Similar findings regarding the concentrations of Chromium (Cr) were noted in medicinal plants that were gathered from an industrial area (Olowoyo et al., 2011 ). The distribution of Cr across the area was associated with the circular walls that contain Cr or trucks that are used to transport finished products from the factories or to supply raw materials. Further studies were conducted in different research, and the cause of the Cr contamination was identified as the coating of rotaries, which releases excessive amounts of Cr pollutants into the surroundings as a result of friction and corrosion (Mandal & Voutchkov, 2011 ). The results of this study are similar to those reported by (Baba & Mohammed ( 2021 ) where the level of Mn ranged between 0.039 mg/kg and 1.2690 mg/kg. Because it is involved in the synthesis of enzymes, manganese is essential to human health. On the other hand, oxidative stress results from high Mn concentrations in plant tissues, which negatively impact enzyme activity, uptake, translocation, and utilisation of other mineral elements (Lei et al., 2007 ). A study by Bai et al. ( 2011 ) discovered a comparable trend of low concentrations in the distribution of Pb in alpine grasslands of Zoige Basin in China, which was in agreement with the current study. Infants are more vulnerable because of their higher digestive Pb absorption and highly sensitive, underdeveloped neurons (Hauptmann et al., 2017 ). Iron (Fe) is one of the most elements that are crucial and abundant for every living organism, providing both energy and oxygen generation. Furthermore, Fe also causes tissue damage and several kinds of illnesses in human beings at high concentrations. As a result, its shortage causes anaemia (Fuortes et al., 2000). Fe is a vital chemical in human metabolism which contains haemoglobin, functions as a catalyst, and it is also essential for diabetics because it aids in the oxidation of carbs, protein, and fat, hence regulating weight (Khan et al., 2009 ; Naveedullah et al., 2013). For some of the TMs, including Ni, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Fe, strong associations were observed (Fig. 3 ). These implied that most of the TM contaminants were originating from similar sources, namely emissions from vehicles, industries, and anthropogenic causes. The length of time for which the factories have been in operations may also be related to the elevated levels of TMs found in the grass around the industrial area of the current investigation. Conclusion The findings indicated that the trend in TM accumulation from the Grass was in a descending order, Fe > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cr > Cu > Zn. The average concentration of Mn was significantly lower than the recommended value prescribed by WHO, however, all the other elements of analysis interest were above their respective permissible limit entailing that they may pose severe health risk on the livestock grazing around the area and in turn the residents and/or customers. Nonetheless, a rise in environmental pollution might be responsible for the accumulation of TMs in the crops growing around the area, which may ultimately find their way into the human food chain. It is crucial to often screen raw plant parts to evaluate the amounts of contaminants and extracts before they are utilised in order to guarantee consumer safety. Ruminant animals grazing around industrial areas are at risk of being exposed to TMs and ultimately threaten human health. The following recommendations are made in light of these findings: ruminants should not graze near industrial sites to avoid TMs exposure. Furthermore, discouraged should also be the planting of crops and vegetables in areas closest to industrial sites. Moreover, investigation must include other contaminants, different types of fodder crops, and a wide variety of distances from the road, malls, factories and etc. to give a comprehensive picture on different types of vegetation. Declarations Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dr Mongalo and Dr Kabangu, from the University of South Africa and University of Pretoria, respectively for allowing us to use their laboratories. The authors would like to further extend their sincere gratitude to the members of Chemistry and Chemical Technology Department of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University for their support. Conflicts of interest The research was carried out without any financial or commercial ties that may be seen as having a conflict of interest, the authors disclose. Publisher’s comments All assertions made in this article are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of their connected organizations, the editors, publisher, or the reviewers. The publication does not guarantee or support any product mentioned in this article, or any claims made by its producer. Author Contributions The conceptualization and design of the study were contributed to by all authors. Arnold Thabang Matlou, Jeffrey Lebepe and Dan Molefe handled the sample preparation and collection as well as the data analysis. Arnold Thabang Matlou wrote the initial draft of the work, and all authors including Lesibana Sethoga provided feedback on earlier drafts. The final manuscript was reviewed and approved by all writers. Funding Open access funding provided by Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. Data Availability Every detail is included in the manuscript. Ethical approval No human nor animal data was used hence, the permission to conduct the study was only sorted from the school committee of Research Ethics (SREC) and subsequently the Sefako Makgatho University Research Ethics Committee (SMUREC) for ethics approval certificate with reference; SMUREC/S/35/2023: PG . Consent to Participation Not applicable. Consent to publish All the authors gave their individual consent to publishing the work prior to the submission. References Baba, H. S., & Mohammed, M. I. (2021). Determination of Some Essential Metals in Selected Medicinal Plants. ChemSearch Journal , 12 (1), 15–20. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/csj/article/view/209959 Bai, J., Cui, B., Chen, B., Zhang, K., Deng, W., Gao, H., & Xiao, R. (2011). Spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments from a typical plateau lake wetland, China. 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Environmental Chemistry Letters , 11 (3), 229–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10311-013-0407-5 Weggler, K., McLaughlin, M. J., & Graham, R. D. (2004). Effect of Chloride in Soil Solution on the Plant Availability of Biosolid-Borne Cadmium. Journal of Environmental Quality , 33 (2), 496–504. https://doi.org/10.2134/JEQ2004.4960 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4400813","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":306865209,"identity":"6467403c-e83d-4f34-82f3-3a0eaf0ce7c7","order_by":0,"name":"Arnold Thabang Matlou","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7100-2156","institution":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Arnold","middleName":"Thabang","lastName":"Matlou","suffix":""},{"id":306865210,"identity":"1431b5e8-40cf-4304-a17d-057d8af274bf","order_by":1,"name":"Jeffrey Lebepe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jeffrey","middleName":"","lastName":"Lebepe","suffix":""},{"id":306865211,"identity":"c66b470d-205c-4ec9-b4aa-c52b1ac53ed5","order_by":2,"name":"Lesibana Sethoga","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Rhodes University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lesibana","middleName":"","lastName":"Sethoga","suffix":""},{"id":306865212,"identity":"b183bf8d-8494-4290-91a4-403357e935e7","order_by":3,"name":"Dan Molefe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dan","middleName":"","lastName":"Molefe","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-05-10 12:55:44","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4400813/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4400813/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":57902004,"identity":"ea020457-3aa1-4294-9532-7b9e38a9a3b4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-07 09:02:55","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1131853,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe geographical location of the study area. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/eq3Ds191W1zvpYTn9)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4400813/v1/7cd41a70f4fd05a51e03b4d3.png"},{"id":57902002,"identity":"a2cce3ef-b95f-4cf0-9936-591608065441","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-07 09:02:55","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":83395,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTrace Metal Concentrations in grass around Tshwane North District area.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4400813/v1/b52a87ffdb4be2258b779a97.png"},{"id":57902003,"identity":"132ce348-d16c-4313-ab0e-903aa1019c3e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-07 09:02:55","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":359247,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTM correlation coefficients observed in the grass from the northern section of Tshwane district.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4400813/v1/6e06a4cef5f4b495d41edc00.png"},{"id":60072611,"identity":"4697f53b-d1c0-4a62-93e1-7d61ad9dca81","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-11 11:34:27","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1839588,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4400813/v1/3beadd87-d675-433e-a75d-5c538351ce25.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Potential health hazards related to the trace metal accumulation in grass samples obtained near industrial area in Tshwane North district, South Africa.","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eGrowing road haulage, growing industrialization, and the extraction and distribution of trace metals (TMs) from natural sources have all undergone chemical transformations into practical forms through technological processes. Metals are taken up from the soil by plants and animals, who then collect them. Some of these metals are referred to be vital trace elements since they are necessary in small amounts for all forms of life to survive. Lead and cadmium are examples of TMs that might cause metabolic abnormalities when they are present in higher concentrations (Oluwole Olowoyo \u0026amp; Lizbeth Mugivhisa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Due to the ability to identify certain metals in minuscule amounts thanks to modern methods, they are of public interest. Public shock and true hysteria have resulted from the impacts of consumption and accumulation on health (Rai et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrough biological mechanisms, metals are transferred. Certain metals are necessary, and lacking them impairs physiological functions (Meers et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Excessive levels of critical metals have the potential to be hazardous. When consumed in excess, several metals that are not recognized to perform vital roles may appear as hazardous effects (Nordberg et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Since these metals are unbreakable, they can bio-accumulate, in contrast to organic compounds that may be removed from tissues by metabolic breakdown. Because certain metals can form inactive compounds or storage, accumulation in tissues does not always indicate the development of harmful consequences (Meers et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo determine if an element is necessary or not, three variables tend to be employed. It must affect the organism and play a role in its metabolism; without a sufficient supply, the organism cannot develop or finish its life cycle; also, no element can completely replace the original. Consumers are more at risk for health problems from food plants that can withstand large concentrations of potentially dangerous metals than from those that are more sensitive Alloway, 1990). Food plants are often more susceptible to Cu and Zn than to Pb and Cd. The overabundance of both necessary and non-essential metals can have detrimental impacts on plants, animals, birds, and humans throughout the food chain (Djingova et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Li et al., 2007.; Meers et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the main causes of pollution in cities and along roadsides is vehicular traffic. The decrease in the emission rate has been obscured by the rise in private car traffic. The public's health is at risk due to the appearance and development of additional contaminants that are caused by abrasion and can be inhaled, consumed, or come into contact with contaminated items (Gebel et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e; Weggler et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e). The study aims to evaluate trace metal accumulation on grass around the Pretoria North industrial area. It was hypothesised that metal concentrations will be high in sites located in close proximity with the industrial area compared to distant sites.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods and Materials","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sampling sites were chosen in such a way that they cover areas where the likelihood of contamination is enormous around an industrial area in the northern part of Pretoria of the Tshwane Metropolitan municipality, South Africa while making sure that the objective of the research was followed. The dominant grass species in the area includes, guinea, common finger, creeping bristle grass, narrow leaved turpentine and spear grass, which are widely grown in these areas and feed the local livestock through the process of grazing, which feed the residing population. The following factors were considered for selection of the sample sites;\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSites where probabilities of contamination are higher due to different types of industries.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eAreas near the highways, to consider the loads of traffic, emission of gases and exhausts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSites near the densely populated areas.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSites where probability of contamination is higher due to mode and source of irrigation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Area\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Tshwane North Industrial Area (Rosslyn) is an ideal and centralized location which hosts some of the large automotive OEMs, e.g.: BMW, NISSAN, IVECO, TATA, etc. This industrial area also comprises many industries that manufactures rubber, petroleum-related products, food, truck industries, as well as an associated industry that consist of steel, metals and plastic industries (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe area is covered mostly by grassland vegetation wherein the dominant species in the vegetation includes guinea, common finger, creeping bristle grass, narrow leaved turpentine and spear grass. The industrial sector is surrounded by a significant volume of traffic due to the South African National Highway, N4 running through it from the east to the north and the provincial highway route, R566. The heavy flow of both private and commercial traffic as well as other industrial activities, such as tyre and material burning in public areas contribute a lot on the current pollution rates of TMs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample Collection and Preparation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eForty grass samples were collected in the vicinity of the Pretoria North enterprises. Four grass samples were collected from each sampling location. The samples were taken with their varied roots of up to a maximum extent of 15 cm. They were then labelled and stored in plastic bags before being sent to the Chemistry Research Centre for examination. Distilled water was used to fully remove any remaining dust from the grass samples that had been collected. The samples were then left to dry for about two days at 50\u0026deg;C in a heated oven. The ground grass samples were filtered using a 0.45 \u0026micro;m microporous screen in preparation for further analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eChemical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout 0.3 g of the dried grass samples was used for digestion with an aqua-regia, 3 ml of HCl (32%), 9 ml of HNO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (65%) supplemented with 1 ml of H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e. The solution was brought to a 10 ml volume with distilled water after being exposed to a 2 hours\u0026rsquo; heat of up to 150\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003eC in an Anton Paar, Multiwave 5000 Microwave reaction platform. In a similar way, the method was repeated two times with a blank digest. The levels of TMs in the digested grass samples were determined in triplicates by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) using an iCAP6000 series instrument (United States Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.). Certified reference materials were used for quality control. The permissible limits prescribed by WHO were used as reference in identifying the most hazardously polluted samples with respective metals.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe statistical analysis was carried out using R 4.3.1. Depending on the satisfaction of assumptions, analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-Wallis Test was used to compare concentrations between sites. The relationships between TMs were evaluated with Spearman\u0026rsquo;s correlation test using Performance Analytics package (Peterson et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). The significance was considered at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn the present study, monitoring of selected TMs was carried out in grass samples collected in Tshwane North section near Rosslyn. The results of TM concentrations in grass samples from various sampling sites in the northern section of Tshwane district are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. All TMs (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Fe) analysed were detected in all samples. The maximum concentration for all the TMs was recorded at S-4 with the value of 25638.6 mg/kg for Fe whereas the lowest concentration for all the TMs was recorded in S-10 of the sample locations for Pb with a value of 19.0 mg/kg. The average concentrations of TMs in the grass samples were in the order Fe\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Mn\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Pb\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Ni\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Cr\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Cu\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Zn.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcentrations of Trace Metals (mg/kg) in the grass samples from Tshwane North.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample Location\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTrace Metals (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNi\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCu\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZn\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCr\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMn\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePb\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFe\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-1\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e185.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e174.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e215.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;49.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e230.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;134.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e217.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;104.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e517.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;608.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13910.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8702.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e184.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e167.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;27.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e308.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;316.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e419.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;261.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e330.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;185.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e262.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;139.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11548.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4832.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e193.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e159.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;20.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e185.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;40.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e424.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;147.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e449.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;278.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e689.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;325.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16880.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6954.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-4\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e181.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e159.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e140.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;37.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e348.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;151.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e370.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;100.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e534.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;411.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25638.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;26296.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-5\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e181.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e181.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;38.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;18.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e262.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;18.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;19.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14271.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6477.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-6\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e181.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e171.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;13.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;46.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;33.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e206.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;89.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;47.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9626.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4621.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-7\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e180.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e183.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e132.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;35.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e153.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;88.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e239.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;84.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;34.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12180.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3635.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-8\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e178.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e175.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;33.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;103.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e243.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;42.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9638.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3515.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-9\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e179.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e170.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e139.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;77.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;23.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e206.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;75.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;67.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8140.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5252.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eS-10\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e180.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e176.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e133.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;88.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e121.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;49.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4567.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2524.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWHO Limit\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(1996)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e425\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe concentration of Nickel (Ni) varied from 178.3\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e93.6 mg/kg with the highest concentration recorded in S-3 and the least concentration found in S-8 with the reading of 178.3 mg/kg. The overall concentrations of Ni including the minimum recorded value were all significantly higher than the permissible limit prescribed by WHO for Ni in plants which is 67.9 mg/kg. The average concentration of Cu in all the grass samples ranged from 159.3\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e183.7 mg/kg. The overall concentration of Cu was notably higher than the permissible limit by WHO of 73.3 mg/kg, with the least concentration recorded at S-4 and the maximum average concentration for this relative TM was found in S-7.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eZinc (Zn) concentration in grass ranged from 78.5\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e308.5 mg/kg in the sampling areas. The highest concentration of Zn was observed in S-2 and the lowest was observed in S-8. The results highlighted that the mean concentration of Zn in the grass were higher than the value recommended by WHO (1996). The average concentration of Chromium (Cr) in the grass varied from 21.8\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e424.5 mg/kg. The results indicated that the lowest concentrations of Cr were found in S-10, 9 and 6, respectively, whereas the maximum concentration of Cr was found in S-3 at a value of 424.5 mg/kg. The mean Cr concentration in the grass samples was extremely higher than the permissible limit recommended by WHO (1996).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results for Manganese (Mn) concentration ranged from 121.5\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e449.5 mg/kg. The highest concentration of Mn (449.5 mg/kg) was observed in S-3 while the lowest was recorded from in S-10 at a value of 121.5 mg/kg. Nevertheless, the overall concentrations of Mn were still lower than the recommended limit by WHO (1996). The results for Pb concentrations in grass samples ranged from 19.0\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e689.3 mg/kg wherein the highest value was recorded in S-3 as 689.3 mg/kg and the lowest was recorded in S-10 at a value of 19.0 mg/kg. Even with S-10 recording the lowest amount of concentration for Pb, it was still higher than the permissible limit recommended by WHO (1996). Hence all the analysed samples were considered to be polluted by Pb.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mean concentrations of Iron (Fe) in the grass samples were varying between 4567.2\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(-\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e25638.6 mg/kg as shown the Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. The results of Fe concentration in grass from the different sampling sites revealed that Fe concentration was the highest in S-4 at a value of 25638.6 mg/kg wherein the lowest concentration of 4567.2 mg/kg was found in S-10. The mean values for Fe in the grass were higher than the tolerable value prescribed by WHO of the 425.5 mg/kg for plants.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMetal concentrations observed in grass in the northern section of Tshwane district are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. The average concentrations were in descending orders: highest of 25638.6 mg/kg, Fe from S-4 to the lowest value of 19.00 mg/kg, Pb from S-10. A significant difference was observed for Ni (F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.84, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) with S-3 showing a significantly higher concentration compared to S-7 (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03), S-8 (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.008), S-9 (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.02), and S-10 (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03). In contrast, Cu showed non-significant difference between 10 sites (F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.1323, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar to Cu, Zn exhibited no significant difference between all sites (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003e2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;14.599, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Nevertheless, a significant difference was observed for Cr (F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.99, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) with S-2, S-3 and S-5 showing to be significantly higher compared S-5 \u0026ndash; S-10 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). The Mn concentration showed no significant difference between sites (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003e2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;16.228, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), whereas a significant difference was observed for Pb (F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.45, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Site 2 exhibited a significantly higher Pb concentration compared to S-5 \u0026ndash; S-10 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) with other sites showing no significant difference.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eInter-metal relationship\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcentrations for each TM were pooled for correlation analysis. Strong positive and highly significant relationships were observed for Cr-Mn (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.70, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), Cr-Pb (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.75, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), Mn-Pb (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.63, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), Cr-Fe (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.68, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) and Mn-Fe (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.80, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). In contrast, Cu showed significant negative relationships with Zn (ρ = -0.57, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), Mn (ρ = -0.52, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), and Pb (ρ = -0.49, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Other moderate significant relationships observed were for Zn-Cr (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.40, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), Zn-Pb (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.56, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), and Pb-Fe (ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.52, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe concentrations of these TMs in grass followed a similar deposition pattern across sites (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Iron (Fe) is the most predominant element followed by Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) all the way to Zinc (Zn), which was the least concentrated element amongst all. The higher concentrations of these TMs in grass samples were relative to the geological orientation of the study area as well as its proximity to mountainous arears, big factories and busy roads. There was an observable decrease in the average concentrations of TMs as sampling sites got further away from the mountainous area and the industrial sites.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe excessive levels of these TMs may frequently be linked to a range of industrial activities in grass samples obtained around industrial sites. Such TMs are known to be released into the atmosphere by metal processing factories, where they eventually settle into the soil. Large-scale releases of TMs may seep into the soil as a result of inappropriate disposal of industrial and electronic waste, where plants subsequently absorb them. Furthermore, TM residues found in vehicle exhaust can settle on vegetation and soil. Certain metals can enter the soil as a result of agricultural operations, such as the use of certain fertilisers and pesticides. Last but not least, air deposition is important as dust or rain may carry TMs on their way to grasslands. Inspections of the environment are essential for identifying the precise contributions and degrees of TM pollution in a given location since the quantity of pollutants from various sources also varies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparable results were reported by Bai et al., (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) on alpine grass around Zoige Basin in China. Residues and bio-solids from fuel combustions and electroplating of metals from industries are potential sources of Ni in the environment (Weggler et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e). Thus, the elevated accumulation of Ni in grass on the side way could be an indication that the environment had excess supply of industrial wastes. Copper (Cu) has a significant impact on the production of melanin, immunity, fertility, and the preservation of uniform pigmentation (Mir et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Moreover, Cu helps keep cholesterol levels low and avoid cardiac arrhythmia, excessive blood pressure, and cell oxidation (Shabbir et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The body uses copper to make a wide variety of enzymes, many of which operate as antioxidants. Nevertheless, excessive copper intake can lead to malfunctioning enzymes (Dhaliwal et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlants need trace amounts of zinc (Zn), an important metal. When present in excessive amounts, Zn can be harmful to plants and cause their leaves to become purplish-red. Zn poisoning results in chlorosis in younger leaves, which spreads to older leaves. The TM, Zn helps the human body grow and develop, but too much of it can cause growth retardation and metal poisoning (Birla Singh et al., 2011; Dhaliwal et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCr is a supplementary element without a proper absorption mechanism in crops (Singh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). The metal itself is not readily absorbed by plants; rather, it builds up through carrier ions like ferrous or sulphate ions. The toxic nature of it inhibits development by disrupting germination, several metabolic processes and photosynthesis as well as lowering the overall production of nutrients. Numerous diseases including Lung cancer, eczema, asthmatic problems, and irreversible sinuses can all result from Cr contamination (Mulaudzi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Similar findings regarding the concentrations of Chromium (Cr) were noted in medicinal plants that were gathered from an industrial area (Olowoyo et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). The distribution of Cr across the area was associated with the circular walls that contain Cr or trucks that are used to transport finished products from the factories or to supply raw materials. Further studies were conducted in different research, and the cause of the Cr contamination was identified as the coating of rotaries, which releases excessive amounts of Cr pollutants into the surroundings as a result of friction and corrosion (Mandal \u0026amp; Voutchkov, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of this study are similar to those reported by (Baba \u0026amp; Mohammed (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) where the level of Mn ranged between 0.039 mg/kg and 1.2690 mg/kg. Because it is involved in the synthesis of enzymes, manganese is essential to human health. On the other hand, oxidative stress results from high Mn concentrations in plant tissues, which negatively impact enzyme activity, uptake, translocation, and utilisation of other mineral elements (Lei et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). A study by Bai et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) discovered a comparable trend of low concentrations in the distribution of Pb in alpine grasslands of Zoige Basin in China, which was in agreement with the current study. Infants are more vulnerable because of their higher digestive Pb absorption and highly sensitive, underdeveloped neurons (Hauptmann et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIron (Fe) is one of the most elements that are crucial and abundant for every living organism, providing both energy and oxygen generation. Furthermore, Fe also causes tissue damage and several kinds of illnesses in human beings at high concentrations. As a result, its shortage causes anaemia (Fuortes et al., 2000). Fe is a vital chemical in human metabolism which contains haemoglobin, functions as a catalyst, and it is also essential for diabetics because it aids in the oxidation of carbs, protein, and fat, hence regulating weight (Khan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Naveedullah et al., 2013). For some of the TMs, including Ni, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Fe, strong associations were observed (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). These implied that most of the TM contaminants were originating from similar sources, namely emissions from vehicles, industries, and anthropogenic causes. The length of time for which the factories have been in operations may also be related to the elevated levels of TMs found in the grass around the industrial area of the current investigation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe findings indicated that the trend in TM accumulation from the Grass was in a descending order, Fe\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Mn\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Pb\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Ni\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Cr\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Cu\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;Zn. The average concentration of Mn was significantly lower than the recommended value prescribed by WHO, however, all the other elements of analysis interest were above their respective permissible limit entailing that they may pose severe health risk on the livestock grazing around the area and in turn the residents and/or customers. Nonetheless, a rise in environmental pollution might be responsible for the accumulation of TMs in the crops growing around the area, which may ultimately find their way into the human food chain.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is crucial to often screen raw plant parts to evaluate the amounts of contaminants and extracts before they are utilised in order to guarantee consumer safety. Ruminant animals grazing around industrial areas are at risk of being exposed to TMs and ultimately threaten human health. The following recommendations are made in light of these findings: ruminants should not graze near industrial sites to avoid TMs exposure. Furthermore, discouraged should also be the planting of crops and vegetables in areas closest to industrial sites. Moreover, investigation must include other contaminants, different types of fodder crops, and a wide variety of distances from the road, malls, factories and etc. to give a comprehensive picture on different types of vegetation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to thank Dr Mongalo and Dr Kabangu, from the University of South Africa and University of Pretoria, respectively for allowing us to use their laboratories. The authors would like to further extend their sincere gratitude to the members of Chemistry and Chemical Technology Department of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University for their support.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of interest \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research was carried out without any financial or commercial ties that may be seen as having a conflict of interest, the authors disclose.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u0026rsquo;s comments \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll assertions made in this article are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of their connected organizations, the editors, publisher, or the reviewers. The publication does not guarantee or support any product mentioned in this article, or any claims made by its producer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe conceptualization and design of the study were contributed to by all authors. Arnold Thabang Matlou, Jeffrey Lebepe and Dan Molefe handled the sample preparation and collection as well as the data analysis. Arnold Thabang Matlou wrote the initial draft of the work, and all authors including Lesibana Sethoga provided feedback on earlier drafts. The final manuscript was reviewed and approved by all writers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpen access funding provided by Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery detail is included in the\u0026nbsp;manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo human nor animal data was used hence, the permission to conduct the study was only sorted from the school committee of Research Ethics (SREC) and subsequently the Sefako Makgatho University Research Ethics Committee (SMUREC) for ethics approval certificate with reference; \u003cstrong\u003eSMUREC/S/35/2023: PG\u003c/strong\u003e. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Participation \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to publish\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the authors gave their individual consent to publishing the work prior to the submission.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBaba, H. 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Chromium toxicity and tolerance in plants. \u003cem\u003eEnvironmental Chemistry Letters\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e11\u003c/em\u003e(3), 229\u0026ndash;254. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10311-013-0407-5\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeggler, K., McLaughlin, M. J., \u0026amp; Graham, R. D. (2004). Effect of Chloride in Soil Solution on the Plant Availability of Biosolid-Borne Cadmium. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Environmental Quality\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e33\u003c/em\u003e(2), 496\u0026ndash;504. https://doi.org/10.2134/JEQ2004.4960\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Accumulation, Trace metals, industrial areas, grass, ICP-OES","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4400813/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4400813/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe growing accumulation of trace metals (TMs) from Industrial emissions on vegetation has generated anxiety regarding the integrity of consumable goods by mankind considering that TMs may migrate into the dietary system via accumulation on the grazable grass by domestic livestock. The research project examined the levels of TMs in various grass samples collected near industrial sites in Tshwane District, South Africa, using the ICP-OES technique. The mean concentrations of TMs in the grass samples were in the following order Fe \u0026gt; Mn \u0026gt; Pb \u0026gt; Ni \u0026gt; Cr \u0026gt; Cu \u0026gt; Zn. Moreover, the overall concentrations of TMs in grass were found to be above the permissible limits for plants (4567.2 - 25638.6 mg/kg) Fe, (178.3 - 193.6 mg/kg) Ni, (159.3 - 183.7 mg/kg) Cu, (78.5 - 308.5 mg/kg) Zn, (21.8 - 424.5 mg/kg) Cr, (121.5 - 449.5 mg/kg) Mn, and (19.0 - 689.3 mg/kg) Pb. The research has further indicated that metals obtained from industrial activities have higher possibilities for growth in comparison to metals that originate naturally. By including TMs movement indicators into the ecological evaluation metric, mistakes in determining the true danger of these metals' possible plant uptake and subsequent circulation can be reduced.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Potential health hazards related to the trace metal accumulation in grass samples obtained near industrial area in Tshwane North district, South Africa.","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-06-07 09:02:50","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4400813/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f15d7ab6-307f-4b4f-996d-17216ab2662f","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 7th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-07-11T11:26:21+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-06-07 09:02:50","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4400813","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4400813","identity":"rs-4400813","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}