43084 Kamath M.A. et al./ Elixir Bio Tech. 99 (2016) 43084-43088 Introduction Environmental pollution is the result of industrialization and urbanization. Environmental pollution is a broad spectrum terminology used for any kind of substance of any process that may cause harm or have toxic effect on the environment and the eco-system. Even though these processes have a positive effect on the daily life of individuals but its deep impact on the environment cannot be neglected. Metals are the natural components of the soil. Some of these metals are micronutrients and are required for plant growth, such as Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni and Co, while others have unknown biological functions such as Cd, Pb and Hg (Gaur and Adholeya, 2004). Heavy metal may interrupt normal functioning of the soil ecosystem which in turn causes negative effects on the growth of plants. The plants are dependent on the soil for their mineral nutrition as well as water. Heavy metal accumulation in soil due to various factors causes the plants to absorb water contaminated with these metals with the other vital minerals. These heavy metals do not have any specific role in the plant metabolism and thus start getting accumulated in the plants. A biogeochemical research was done in areas located in the outskirts of Mumbai viz. Dahisar, Mira Road, Vasai and Nallasopara. The sampling sites are classic examples of areas that have contaminated soil due to the lack of proper water supply and overuse of chemical fertilizers by the cultivators have increased the level of heavy metals in the soil which can be easily absorbed by the test plant. This project work is been done for analyzing the soil and the accumulation of heavy metals in the test plant i.e. Amaranthus cruentus. Heavy metals can cause phytotoxic effects (Prasad and Hagemeyer, 1999) and affect human health harmfully (Reilly, 1991). Thus, this research work is a synthesis between ecotoxicology and toxicology. On the one hand, it analyzes the potential risks posed by heavy metals to the environment; on the other hand, it examines the effect on human health. The present study focused on the content of potential toxic elements (PTE‟s) in the soil and plant samples collected from the sampling sites. The main objectives of the research was To study the heavy metal contamination in the soil To evaluate if the PTE‟s from the soil are transferred to the plants To study the accumulation pattern of heavy metals in the plants To determine the pollution index and to evaluate if these plants are fit for human consumption Materials and Methods Sampling Sites The study area was the northern suburbs of the city of Mumbai, India. Mumbai is the said to be the economic capital of India and has a major role in the Indian economy but like any other metropolitan city it faces several environmental problems. These problems are due to increasing population, vehicular pollution, industrial expansion, urbanization and lack of environmental policies. The railways are one of the best modes of transport in the city and everyday millions of people use railways. Mumbai Suburban Railway consists of exclusive inner suburban railway lines augmented by commuter rail on main lines serving outlying suburbs to serve the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Spread over 465 kilometers (289 mi), the suburban railway operates 2,342 train services. These railway lines are been used for cultivation of vegetables for many years now. The sampling sites were specific i.e. biased sampling was performed. The test plant i.e. Amaranthus cruentus were taken from the railway tracks of Dahisar, Mira Road and Nalla Sopara. The climatic and environmental factors in all these locations were same but the method of cultivation used ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received: 2 August 2016; Received in revised form: 29 September 2016; Accepted: 2 October 2016; Keywords Toxic elements, Hazardous, ICP-AAS, Amaranthus cruentus, Heavy metals. Accumulation and Translocation of Heavy Metals in Soil and Amaranthus Cruentus Kamath M.A. 1 , Jadhav R.N. 1 and Pimpliskar M.R. 2* 1 Vidyavardhini‟s Zoology Research Lab. E.S.A. College of Science, Vasai West, India – 401202. 2 G. M. Momin Womens College, Bhiwandi Dist-Thane. India. ABSTRACT A biogeochemical field study was carried out in the outskirts of Mumbai, where agricultural soils were contaminated by potentially toxic elements. Amaranthus cruentus is an important part of the diet in the state of Maharashtra and thus it was selected as a test plant. Environmental pollution is one of the severe problems that are faced by Mumbai and agriculture is also affected due to it. Analysis of lead and cadmium, two of the most hazardous heavy metals was done from the soil samples and its accumulation patterns in the test plant were studied. Lead and cadmium analysis was done using ICP- AAS to determine if these vegetable samples are fit for human consumption. © 2016 Elixir All rights reserved. Elixir Bio Tech. 99 (2016) 43084-43088 Bio Technology Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Tele: E-mail address: samyak1210@gmail.com © 2016 Elixir All rights reserved