Study of Heavy Metal Contaminations in Green Leafy Vegetables and Fruits of Kitwe District, Zambia

Abstract

The heavy metal concentrations of Cu, Ni, Zn, Co, Pb and Fe in fruits-Eggplant (Solanum melongena), Lemon (Citrus limon), Tomato (solanum lycopersicum) and Green Leafy Vegetables (GLV)-Pumpkin Leaves (telfairia occidentalis), Rape (brasicca napus), were analyzed. GLV and fruits were purchased from four different market locations (Chamboli, Chisokone, Chimwemwe and Chipata markets) located in and around Kitwe District, Zambia. The heavy metal concentrations in GLV and fruits were determined using the Perkin-Elmer 2380 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Most of the results obtained from the analysis showed high levels of heavy metal concentrations as compared to standards permissible by World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The levels of heavy metal concentrations in GLV ranged from 1.40 to 7.80 mg/kg Fe; 0.50 to 4.10 mg/kg Cu; 0.35 to 4.0 mg/kg Co; 2.00 to 9.00 mg/kg Ni; 0.70 to 5.05 mg/kg Zn; 0.40 to 1.10 mg/kg Pb, while for fruits the levels ranged from 1.30 to 7.50 mg/kg Fe; 0.50 to 3.20 mg/kg Cu; 0.50 to 4.00 Co; 1.17 to 5.10 mg/kg Ni; 0.20 to 1.25 mg/kg Zn and 0.18 to 0.50 mg/kg Pb. The high levels of heavy metal concentrations in most of the GLV and fruits could be attributed to the various anthropogenic activities taking place in the four locations, with mining activities being the most common contributor. However, if not controlled or monitored by local authorities, the health effects that come with consuming contaminated food may be fatal.

Untargeted UPLC-Q/TOF-MS-based metabolomics and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopic analysis reveal differences in the quality of ginger from two provinces in Zambia

“…As there is no mining activity in Lusaka, the content of Pb in the samples from there could be due to pollution from other industries (cement manufacturers, iron and steel foundries, industrial or commercial boilers, waste incinerators, lead battery smelters etc.) and heavy vehicular emissions . Exposure to Pb is associated with poor muscle coordination, hearing and vision impairments, brain and kidneys damage, reproductive defects and gastrointestinal symptoms.…”

“…and heavy vehicular emissions. [10,11] Exposure to Pb is associated with poor muscle coordination, hearing and vision impairments, brain and kidneys damage, reproductive defects and gastrointestinal symptoms. Prenatal and early childhood exposure to Pb is linked to slowed cognitive development and learning deficits.…”

Species richness and phytoremediation potential of mine wastelands-native trees across the Zambian Copperbelt Region

“…And in most cases, the areas around tailings dams in the region are prone to air pollution, hence the neighbouring population is exposed to high concentrations of PM10 with potential to provoke lower respiratory symptoms and reduced lung functions [ 1 ]. These toxic tailings dams are also known to be blown into the nearest agricultural land, thereby endangering plant growth, while also posing threat to human and animal health through contamination in the food chain, as food metal contents are generally found above the permissible threshold for safety [ 56 ]. Moreover, these tailings dams generally flow in surficial water bodies, posing eminent water pollution in aquatic ecosystem and undesirable effects on irrigation [ 1 ].…”

Safety Assessment of the Presence of Heavy Metals and Organic Pollutants in Vended Street Foods from Selected Locations in Lagos State Nigeria

“…Human exposure to heavy metals has increased dramatically in the last 50 years' as a result of increase in the use of heavy metals in industrial processes and production activities [4]. Heavy metals have been shown to have positive and negative roles in human life [9,10]. As reported earlier by Onianwa et al [11].…”