HEAVY METALS LEVEL OF MEDICINAL PLANTS COLLECTED FROM
SELECTED DISTRICT IN KHYBER-PAKTHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN
MUHAMMAD IDREES 1, SHAZIA RAFIQ 1, SAMI ULLAH 2, F. AKBAR JAN 1*, M. NAEEM KHAN 1, FAZAL MABOOD 3
1Department of Chemistry, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 24420 Pakistan
2Department of Botany, University of Peshawar, Peshwar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
3Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Nizwa-616, Oman
*corresponding author: fazal_akbarchem@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
The toxic metal contents of common medicinal plants collected from Dir Lower a hilly area in KPK Pakistan were analysed.
All the selected heavy metals were detected in almost all the samples. Co concentration ranged from 0.24 - 4.58 ppm, Cr
from 0.59 - 5.1 ppm, Cu from 0.86 - 3.17 ppm, Mn from 7.52 - 23.38 ppm, Ni from 0.96 - 4.78 ppm, Pb from 13.45 - 2.33
ppm, Sb from 7.44 - 19.69 ppm, Zn from 2.42 - 48.86 ppm, Fe from 27.68 - 139.20 ppm, respectively in different herbal
plants. Amongst the screened plants samples Boehraria diffusa was found to be heavily contaminated followed by
Verbascum thapsus, Melia azedarach L., Berberis lyceum Royle, Nicotiana affinis and Datura alba. The analysed metals
concentrations were found higher than the WHO permissible limits in majority of plant samples. The order of distribution
with respect to concentration of the selected metals was Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Co >> Cu > Cr > Ni > Sb.

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