Assessment of Selected Heavy Metal Level in Soil and Maize (Zea mays) Plant within the Vicinity of Auto Mechanic Workshops in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria
Clifford Baba Okpanachi *
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Edith Bolanle Agbaji
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Hajara Zubairu Omenesa
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Assessment of heavy metals in the environment is an important tool to evaluate the risk of toxic metals to humans. In order to achieve this, soil and plant samples were collected within the vicinities of auto mechanic workshops in Gwagwalada area council at five (5) sites used as the study areas and a control site. The soil and plant samples were analysed for five heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The range of mean heavy metal concentration of the Auto mechanic soils were: Cd: 15.73 - 35.89 mg/kg, Cu: 112.05 - 170.42 mg/kg, Ni: 58.25 - 136.48 mg/kg, Pb: 105.59 - 316.57 mg/kg, Zn: 116.16 - 349.49 mg/kg while the range of mean heavy metal concentration in plants at the experimental sites was: Cd: 1.75 - 10.56 mg/kg, Cu: 25.38 - 79.42 mg/kg, Ni: 28.93 - 47.98 mg/kg, Pb: 5.48 - 33.48 mg/kg, Zn: 35.61 mg/kg - 111.54 mg/kg. The study indicated that consumption of plants grown on these sites could pose health hazard to man.
Keywords: Soils, heavy metals, plants, auto mechanic workshops, pollution