Assessment of the levels of cadmium and lead in soil and vegetable samples from selected dumpsites in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Abstract

Many dumpsites in the urban communities in Ghana are used for cultivation of crops, especially vegetables. However, these dumpsites may serve as potential sources of soil heavy metals that could enter the food chain mainly through cultivated food crops with serious consequences on human health. This study investigated the levels of two heavy metals, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), in the soil and tissues of vegetables grown on such dumpsites. Soil and tissue (lettuce, cabbage, spring onion, tomato and the leaves of Xanthosoma sagitifolium) samples were collected from ten locations with two of these locations used as control. The samples were acid-digested and the metal concentrations determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Pb and Cd contents of soils from all the eight dumpsites and one of the control locations were above the guidelines recommended by FAO and WHO. The highest Cd level in the soil (13.6 mgkg -1 of Cd) was found at Aketego dumpsite and the highest soil Pb (36.1 mgkg -1 Pb) was recorded at Meduma dumpsite. The leafy vegetables, cabbage, lettuce and X. sagitifolium (locally called 'kontomire') recorded relatively higher amounts of Pb and Cd in the edible parts. Further studies are required to determine how much of the daily diet these vegetables contribute to the total diets of the population and special attention to calculating the overall daily doses of Cd and Pb to pregnant mothers and children <5 years of age is thus warranted.

Spatial Distribution of Heavy Element in Erbil's Municipal Landfills by Using GIS

“…Pb concentrations at several sampling sites varied significantly p < 0.05 and ranging from 201.89 to 813.81 mg kg -1 . Pb was found in the studied area due to the disposal of waste materials usually containing batteries, food packaging, PVC equipment, and insect repellents 32 . The maximum Pb contents were found at site 13, indicating that the element is highly mobile Table 4.…”

Determination of some heavy metals and physicochemical properties in contaminated soils of open waste dumpsite in Awka, Anambra State

“…Presence of Zn within the dumpsite could be attributed to disposal of heavy metal substances which includes presence of dry cells and the burning of electronic waste [37]. It could also be due to high usage of various types of pesticides, degradable chemicals and fertilizers [38,[42][43][44][45]. Although the concentration of Zn was within the permissible concentration limit, it may however, be a threat to human health if ingested in large quantities.…”

Spatial Assessment of Some Selected Heavy Metals and Soil Physicochemical Properties in Open Dumpsites in Owerri North Nigeria

“…Increase in world population and high industrial activities has resulted in the generation of large quantities of domestic municipal and industrial wastes (Lagerkvist and Dahlen, 2019;Twumasi et al, 2016). The increased wastes production is however not commensurate with capacity in waste management especially in developing countries.…”