Absorption and Distribution of Heavy Metal in <i>Erigeron breviscapus</i> (Vant) Hand-Mazz

Heavy metal accumulation is effect normal plant growth, and brings potential human health risk in edible and medicinal plants. Erigeron breviscapus is a famous and important traditional China medicine plant, but research of absorption and accumulation for heavy metal is very limited, however that will help the guarantee of quality and food safety as medicine, and offer cultivation guidance and selection of main medicinal parts. The results showed that in pollution-free soil four heavy metals (lead, chromium, cadmium and cuprum) are low concentration in Erigeron breviscapus, but with an increase of heavy metal concentration in soil its amount showed a rising trend in different organs. Lead and chromium enriched mainly by plant root, but cadmium and cuprum easily transfer into above-ground parts because of strongly translocation ability themselves. Therefore cultivate of medicine materials must select pollution-free soil to avoid direct and indirect danger from heavy metal pollution.