Assessment of roadside ornamental trees potential for mitigating heavy metal pollution in Ludhiana, Punjab

This study examined heavy metal (HM) concentrations in roadside soil and ornamental tree leaves to identify trees with high bioaccumulation potential for mitigating HM pollution. Samples were collected from a highway site and PAU university campus, focusing on several heavy metals. The analysis revealed notable bioaccumulation factors (Bf) for chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) in the leaves of various tree species. Specifically, Heterophragma adenophyllum demonstrated strong affinity for zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd), while Cassia siamea showed significant uptake of Cu and Zn. These findings highlight the potential of certain tree species to help address heavy metal contamination in urban areas.