Heavy metals in plant leaves

Soil quality has become an important issue. Environmental pollution by heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) has increased due to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and mining activities. These metals are taken up by plants and enter the food chain, posing a significant risk to human health and the ecosystem.

To date, direct detection methods using chemical and physical tests are employed to monitor the composition of heavy metals in soil or plants. These methods are precise and sensitive, but they are also time-consuming and destructive,  especially when dealing with large numbers of samples. In contrast, THz spectroscopy offers a non-destructive, cost-effective and  potentially portable detection method.