Comparison of the Concentrations of Metals Found in three types of Teff Samples

Abstract

Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni)) is a self-pollinated, annual, warm season cereal crop, believed to have originated in Ethiopia and have been domesticated and used throughout the world due to its excellent nutritional value as grains for human consumption and as forage for livestock. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration levels of metals in teff samples across different locations and to compare with other reported values due to different agricultural applications. The mean concentration levels of the metals in the three types of teff samples collected from the three sampling areas were determined by using MP-AES and were an efficient method. The overall mean concentrations determined (mg/kg, air dry weight) for the teff samples collected from the Bure, Debre Markos and Bahir Dar sites were in the ranges of Fe (719) > Ca (289) > Zn (86) > Mn (33) > Cu ( 14), Fe (728) > Ca (256) > Zn (87) > Mn (29) > Cu (13) and Fe (668) > Ca (270) > Zn (73) > Mn (36) > Cu (13), respectively. The level of Fe in the white teff was higher than that of the red and mixed teff samples collected from the Bure site and it was higher in the red teff sample collected from the Debre Markos site. The amount of Fe determined in the three types of teff samples collected from the Bahir Dar site and the concentrations of Ca, Zn, Mn and Cu determined in the three types of teff samples were almost similar within each sampling sites. The one way ANOVA indicated the mean concentrations of the studied metals found in the three types of teff samples within and between the sampling sites was not significant at 95% confidence level.