The ability of a metal species in its different forms to migrate from the soil through the plant parts and makes itself available for consumption can be represented by the transfer factor.
The transfer factor is a function of different factors such as the soil pH, soil organic matter, metals availability and soil particle size.
The transfer factors of different heavy metals from soil to vegetation are one of the key components of human exposure to metals through the food chain. The highest values (mean values: 42.89,0.84 and 0.37, respectively) were found for Fe, Pb and Cd because these metals are more mobile in nature.