Original Research Article
Assessment of metal pollutants in lettuce (lactuca Sativa) cultivated via irrigation in Maiduguri, Nigeria
1*Bukar, P. H. and 2Onoja M. A.
1Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology Zaria,Nigeria.
2Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,Nigeria.
*Corresponding Author Email: paul.hena(at)yahoo.com
Bukar, P. H |
Onoja M. A |
Article Number: irjpeh.20.009 | Pages: 60-66 | Vol. 7 (3), June 2020 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.15739/irjpeh.20.009
Received: January 15, 2020 Accepted: April 12, 2020 Published: June 5, 2020
Abstract
Vegetable cultivation along channels and rivers that transcend major cities have been a concern globally in the recent decades due to accumulation of heavy metals and introduction of heavy metals into the food chain. Lettuce samples cultivated along the bank of river Ngadda and Alau dam in Maiduguri were collected and analyzed for the accumulation of heavy metals namely Aluminum, Cobalt, Iron, Lanthanum, Manganese, Chromium, Rubidium, Antimony, Scandium, Thorium, Europium and Zinc (Zn) using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The aim of the study was to determine the levels of accumulation of heavy metals in lettuce cultivated during dry season along the bank of river Ngadda and Alau dam and to compare the values obtained with the maximum permissible limit (MPL) recommended for vegetables. The results obtained showed that the concentration level of Aluminum ranged from 1634 ± 05 to 6450 ± 213ppm, Cobalt from below detectable limit (BDL) to 72 ± 11ppm, Iron 379 ± 31 to 1087 ± 71 ppm Lanthanum 0.40±0.05 to 2.49±0.06 ppm, Manganese 11.3 ± 1 to 170 ± 1 ppm, Chromium 1.3 ± 0.2 to 5 ± 1 ppm, Rubidium 13 ± 1 to 57 ± 3 ppm, Antimony BDL to 4.2 ± 1.00 ppm, Scandium 0.07 ± 0.01 to 37.1 ± 1.40 ppm, Barium10 ± 2 to 135 ± 14 ppm, Thorium 0.15 ± 0.04 to 20.00 ± 3ppm., Europium 0.021 ± 0.004 to 32 ± 5.00 ppm and Zinc 25 ± 3 to 42 ± 4 ppm. The result indicates that the maximum concentration values of Fe and Co exceed the Maximum Permissible Limit (MPL) recommended by FAO/WHO while the other heavy metals concentration values were within the safe limit. However, the continuous consumption of lettuce obtained from the study area pose health risk therefore periodic investigation of the accumulation of heavy metals in lettuce should be done periodically as the built up of these metal pollutants could occur overtime unnoticed even with the heavy metals that were within the safe limit at the moment.
Keywords:
Assessment, accumulation, metal pollutants, irrigation, lettuce.
How to Cite this Article
Bukar PH, Onoja MA (2020). Assessment of metal pollutants in lettuce (lactuca Sativa) cultivated via irrigation in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Int. Res. J. Public Environ. Health 7(3):60-66.
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