Investigation of lead (Pb) content in Ipomea aquatica (Kankun) grown in the area around Matara

Abstract

The aquatic plant water spinach, Ipomea aquatica either wild or cultivated, is a widely consumed vegetable throughout the Southeast Asia. Due to the unplanned dumping of the garbage to the environment, industrialization and with automobile discharge, a heavy metal, lead which is toxic to the human being enters to the environment and plants like I. aquatica has the ability to absorb and accumulate lead which can then be entered to human body via consuming it as a food.