Dataset: Heavy Metal and Fluoride Accumulation in Desert Shrubs and Soil Following the 2017 Ashalim Phosphogypsum Spill (Negev Desert, Israel)
Description
This dataset contains soil and plant chemistry measurements collected in the Ashalim Stream, Negev Desert, Israel, following the June 2017 phosphogypsum wastewater spill. The dataset includes cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), strontium (Sr), and fluoride (F) concentrations measured in leaves and associated soils of Atriplex halimus, Anabasis articulata, and Retama raetam from polluted and control sites within sand and alluvial habitats between 2019 and 2021. Additional data include photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, pheophytin a, and carotenoids) and derived bioconcentration factors (BCF). The dataset was generated to assess the long-term environmental fate of contaminants and plant bioaccumulation dynamics two to five years after the spill. Data support the manuscript: "Heavy Metal and Fluoride Accumulation in Desert Shrubs and Soil Following an Industrial Wastewater Spill: A Multi-Year Assessment in the Ashalim Stream, Negev Desert, Israel." Units: * Cd, Cr, Sr: mg kg⁻¹ dry weight * Fluoride: g kg⁻¹ dry weight * Pigments: µg mg⁻¹ Location: Ashalim Stream Nature Reserve, Negev Desert, Israel.
Files
Steps to reproduce
Leaf and soil samples were collected from polluted and control plots in the Ashalim Stream Nature Reserve between 2019 and 2021. Plant material was oven-dried, homogenized, and analyzed for trace elements and fluoride using standard laboratory procedures described in the associated manuscript. Soil samples were collected adjacent to sampled plants and analyzed using the same analytical framework. Concentrations were summarized by species, habitat, plot, year, and sample type. Statistical analyses were conducted in R and Python as described in the manuscript Methods section.
Institutions
- Ben-Gurion University of the NegevSouthern District, Beersheba