EVALUATION OF CERTAIN HEAVY METALS IN SOIL SAMPLES WITHIN SELECTED SOUTHERN PART OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This research paper investigated the presence of heavy metals in Soil samples from three selected sites within the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The aim of the study to analysis the level of heavy metals concentration within selected southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Twelve (12) samples were analysed at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kaduna using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). From the result, it was found that Mn has the highest mean concentration 83.3 mg/kg and Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb have moderate concentration with mean level of 11.37 mg/kg, 36.53 mg/kg, 41.17 mg/kg, 7.30 mg/kg, 24.57 and 40.13 mg/kg respectively. Other Samples with low mean concentration levels are; Ca, Fe, K, Mg and Na with 0.05 mg/kg, 0.04 mg/kg, 0.01 mg/kg, 0.01 mg/kg and 0.38 mg/kg respectively, which is far less than the maximum permissible level recommended by WHO of 1.2 to 1.5 mg/kg. Hence, the result shows that there were heavy elements within the sampled area. The need for health agency to create awareness on the poor level of basic nutritional elements within the area and also, provide alternative source of the nutritional elements in their dietary. These lack of the basic nutritional elements can leads to the Retard growth, Kwashiorkor, Rickets and Anaemia.