Estimation of Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Heavy Metals in Harvested Plantains from Bodo, Rivers State

Abstract

A Plantain harvested from Bodo community, Gokana L.G.A Rivers state were analyzed for heavy metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations. Physicochemical properties of the agricultural soil used for the plantain cultivation showed the following: pH (5.7) while the control experiment was seen at 7.4. Soil conductivity of 721 and 398 were obtained for both the test and control experiments, respectively. Soil mineral contents: Potassium (6.88 mg/g), phosphorus (2.63 mg/g), Magnesium (12.42 mg/g), chloride ions (1021.21 mg/g). Heavy metal analysis of the soil showed a greater proportion of copper and iron in while Hg, As and Cd were below detectable limit in both tested samples. Pb was found relatively in lower concentrations of 24.12 mg/g in the test sample, 6.23 mg/g in the control experiment. Total Oxidizable Carbon Content (TOC) and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) content of the soil were observed at 104.12 and 2567 mg/g respectively in the tested sample. The control experiment showed TOC and TPH concentrations of 42.85 and 1094 mg/g. Heavy metal analysis of harvested plantain from Bodoh community showed the presence of the following: Lead (Pb), Iron (Fe) and Copper (Cu) in the following order: Cu>Fe>Pb in the test sample while in the control experiment, iron (Fe) was seen greater than copper (Cu). Heavy metals of mercury, cadmium and arsenic were below detectable limit at in both the harvested plantain from Bodo community and those of the control experiment, respectively. Bioaccumulation factor of all the heavy metals identified were <1. PAHs of Acenaphthalene, Acenaphthene, chrysene, pyrene and fluranthene were not detected in the control experiment while only chrysene was not detected in the test samples. Naphthalene,methyl naphthalene, acenaphthalene, acenaphthene, benzo (k) fluranthene and flourene were relatively high in concentration than pyrene and flouranthene in the test samples. Naphthalene, methylnaphthalene, flourene and benzo(k) flouranthene were only recorded in the control experiment. Acenaphthalene (0.034 mg/g) was seen as the highest PAHs in bioaccumulation in the test sample while flourene (0.005 mg/g) recorded the highest in the control experiment.