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अमूर्त

Heavy metal concentrations in soils, plant leaves and crops grown around dump sites in Lafia Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Opaluwa, O. D., Aremu, M. O., Ogbo, L. O, Abiola, K. A., Odiba, I. E., Abubakar, M. M. and Nweze, N.O

xThe level of heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soils, plant leaves and crops from farmlands around dumpsites were determined using digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer methods (AAS). Soil and plant samples were collected from farms around the dump sites (sites A and B) and other samples from an area where there were no dump sites, which served as control. The concentration of metals in soil samples in mg/kg from site ‘A’ determined were As(0.66), Cd(0.48), Co(0.58), Cu(0.91), Fe(0.63), Ni(0.31), Pb(0.49), and Zn(0.38) while that of site ‘B’ were As(0.55), Cd(0.84), Co(0.63), Cu(0.82), Fe(0.64), Ni(0.42), Pb(0.53), and Zn(0.40). The metal concentrations in plant leaves and crops showed high level of Co(0.33) and Fe(0.32) in roselle leaves; Cu(0.71) and As(0.37) in groundnut; Cu(0.48) and As(0.28) in maize grains; As(0.36) and Co(0.32) in spinach leaves; and Cu(0.36) and Co(0.32) mg/kg in okro. The values of all the metals analyzed for samples from dumpsites were higher than those from the control site suggesting possible mobility of metals from dumpsites to farmlands through leaching and runoffs, but were below values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), but there is need for further monitoring since the inhabitants depend on these areas for farming.