To assess fluoride accumulation potential and the percentage of fluoride removed by washing, four herb species were exposed to a polluted area. Spondias dulcis was used as a responsive bioindicator and showed typical fluoride response symptoms. Symptoms were observed only in parsley. Although apparently healthy, the leaves of the remaining herbs, except for chives, showed surface damage associated mainly with stomata when observed under the microscope. A reduction in leaf thickness was also observed, most prominently in basil and chives. Scar tissue was observed in kale, and a retraction of the protoplast of the epidermal cells was observed in parsley. The subulate, erect leaves of chives accumulated less fluoride; on the other hand, parsley leaves are laminar, lobed and parallel to the soil, which contributed to higher pollutant retention. Washing the leaves removed 34.1 and 73.9% of the fluoride on chives and parsley, respectively, indicating that for chives, most of the pollutant was found inside the leaves, while for parsley, the pollutant was located on the outside. Growing these herbs in fluoride-polluted areas is not recommended, since pollutant percentages are above levels recommended for consumption, even after washing the leaves.
leaf anatomy; Allium schoenoprasum; Brassica oleracea; Ocimum basilicum; Petroselinum crispum
