ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN ADANSONIA DIGITATA LEAVES CONSUMED IN ONDA, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This work presents an assessment on the concentration of heavy metals in Adansonia digitata leaves consumed in Onda village of Nasarawa Local Government Area, in North central Nigeria. The concentration levels were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The results obtained showed that the level of concentration of arsenic, chromium, mercury and lead ranged from 0.33 to 2.48 mg/Kg, 1.88 to 6.25 mg/Kg, 2.52 to 4.19 mg/Kg, and 1.99 to 4.02 mg/Kg respectively. The arsenic, chromium, mercury and lead concentration levels were found to be above the WHO and FAO maximum permissible limits (2016), that is 1.00 mg/Kg, 2.30 mg/Kg, 0.01 mg/Kg and 10.00 mg/Kg respectively, except in zone A and B where the arsenic concentration values were found to be below the WHO and FAO maximum permissible limits with values 0.33 mg/Kg and 0.71 mg/Kg. It is therefore, obvious that the consumption of the Adansonia digitata leaves from the studied area subjects the consumers to health risk resulting from accumulation of all the studied metals which appeared to be above WHO and FAO standards in almost all the zones, in a long run.