Accumulation of Toxic and Trace Metals in Agricultural Soil: A Review of Source and Chemistry in Ethiopia

Abstract

The main aim of this paper review is to know the extent of toxic and trace metals in some listed part Ethiopian farmland soil and its cause. Heavy metals are persistent in the agricultural soils (environments), they are non -termly and biological degradable. Among those toxic heavy metals, Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, are some of them. Every year’s large amount of industrial wastes, urban wastes, automobile emission, fertilizer, pesticide, wastewater irrigation and other agricultural activities are common in large agricultural farm land of Ethiopia. Those leads in to contamination of farmland with toxic heavy metals and other pollutants, The effect of those pollutants lower the quality of products finally they affect the health of consumers. According to different reports, in Ethiopia the farmland around cities and industry zone have accumulated large amount of toxic and trace heavy metals with compared to other farmlands. Mostly the concentration of those toxic metals were above the recommended limit set by different organization like FAO, WHO, EP and other. Therefore, the concerned body should be set different strategy and rule for agricultural activities, polluted factory effluents, gasses and solid wastes and other heavy metal source in order to protect the consumers from different heavy metals caused diseases.