Metal Contamination Of Foods and Drinks Consumed in Ota, Nigeria

Abstract

Food consumed in Ota, Nigeria are prone to contamination with environmental metal pollutants. The concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) were determined in some commonly consumed foods and drinks using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Samples selected included fried yam, fried bean cake (akara), roasted plantain (bole), roasted meat (suya), roasted fish, cassava flour (fufu), yam flour (amala), garri (eba), beans and herbal drink (agbo jedi jedi). Lead was present only in roasted meat (0.02±0.02 mg kg-1), garri (0.04±0.06 mg kg-1) and roasted plantain (0.004±0.01 mg kg-1). Copper and cadmium ranged from 0.02±0.19-3.55±0.20 and 0.02±0.01-0.59±0.17 mg kg-1, respectively. The mean concentration of zinc and nickel ranged from 0.09±0.10-1.19±1.52 and 0.04±0.01-6.38±7.61 mg kg-1, respectively. The mean concentration of manganese ranged from 0.06±0.05-0.25±0.19 mg kg-1. Manganese was absent in agbo jedi jedi (ethanolic). Some of the foods including roasted plantain (bole), roasted meat (suya), roasted fish, cassava flour (fufu), yam flour (amala) and beans were contaminated with nickel above FAO/WHO tolerable limits. Agbo jedi jedi was found to be contaminated with cadmium, nickel and copper above safety levels. Mercury was present only in roasted plantain at a level of 0.91±1.28 mg kg-1 which was beyond tolerable limits. This study indicates that consumers of the foods and drinks with high levels of metal contamination may be exposed to health risks associated with their presence