Metals in Some Ready-to-Eat Foods on Some Highways of Lagos and Ota South-West Nigeria

Abstract

This research determined the concentration of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) in roasted corn (Zea mays), roasted plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and barbecue from roadside close to industrial and automobile emission in some selected parts of Lagos and Ota, South-West Nigeria. They were analysed after digestion by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Lead had the highest concentration in all the food type analyzed and was higher than FAO permissible limit (0.3 mg/kg) in about 92% of the samples analyzed. It was also found to be higher in the samples from Lagos than those from Ota. While Cadmium had relatively lower concentration compared with Lead in all the food samples but about 25% of the samples analyzed had higher concentration than the FAO permissible limit (0.5 mg/kg). The results showed that the order of the concentration of Lead in the food samples was corn>barbecue>plantain, while the order of the Cadmium concentration in the food samples was in the order corn>plantain>barbecue. Continual consumption of roasted corn, roasted plantain and barbecue close to highway and industrial emission may therefore constitute a source of exposure to these heavy metals.