Studies on uptake and retention of trace elements by medicinal plants in the environs of Hassan of South India

Highlights: • Trace element concentration was measured in the soil and medicinal plants. • The transfer factors from soil to medicinal plants were evaluated. • The transfer factors were found in the order Rb > Sr > Ca > K > Zn > Cu > Mn. - Abstract: The transfer factors of trace elements from soil to medicinal plants were determined in the region of Hassan district of south India. The trace element concentration was determined using the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometer. The transfer factors were found in the order Rb > Sr > Ca > K > Zn > Cu > Mn. The transfer factors were found to be high, for most of the plants. The concentration of Rb and Sr was found to be high in medicinal plants, which can be attributed to the mineralogy of the region and plant morphology.