Health Risk Assessment of some Heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cr) in Soil Sample from Gashua, Yobe, Nigeria

Abstract

The extent of heavy metal concentration in agricultural soil has serious
health implication such as kidney failure, mental lapse and central nervous
system disorder on human and higher animals. In this paper samples of
agricultural soil where collected from four different farmlands
(Mashangwari I, Mashangwari II, Gada right and Gada left) along Gada
River, Gashua. The samples collected were analyzed for their cadmium
(Cd), lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr) concentrations, using atomic
absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) technique. The analysis showed the
highest concentration of Pb (6.3130 μg ml–1
) in Gada (left) farmland,
followed by Cr (1.5082 μg ml–1
) in Gada (right). While the average
concentration of Cd (0.40485 μg ml–1
) is relatively low. Mashangwari I has
the highest concentration of Cd (0.7405 μg ml–1
). These values of the Pb,
Cr, and Cd concentration are higher than the world health organization
(WHO) permissible limits in soil. Since the values of the Pb, Cr, and Cd
concentrations obtained from all the four soil samples were higher than the
WHO permissible limits, this indicates that Pb, Cr, and Cd concentration in
the soil had the higher capability to pose severe health risk to Gashua
community. Therefore, it is suggested that Cd, Pb and Cr concentration in
Gashua agricultural soil could be linked to chronic kidney disease that
affects the community