DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METALS IN SOME SELECTED VEGETABLES IRRIGATED WITH POLLUTED WATER IN KABALA WEST AREA OF KADUNA STATE
DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METALS IN SOME SELECTED VEGETABLES IRRIGATED WITH POLLUTED WATER IN KABALA WEST AREA OF KADUNA STATE ABSTRACT This study was carried out to assess the levels of different heavy metals such as Lead, Cadmium and Zinc in Vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, spinach, Bitter leaf and pumpkin irrigated with polluted water in different farms in Kabala West area of Kaduna state, the concentrations of the heavy metals were determined using Atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis, the result shows that lead (2.130-9.075 mg/kg), Cadmium (1.365-1.735 mg/kg) and Zinc (2.720-6.765 mg/kg) were detected in all the samples except for Zinc which was not detected in lettuce and cabbage. The concentration of lead (9.075 mg/kg) detected in spinach was the highest and that of cadmium (1.365 mg/kg) detected in bitter-leaf was the lowest in all the samples analyzed. The result also indicated that Lead and cadmium detected in all the samples analyzed in this project were