DETERMINATION OF TRACE METALS IN Moringa oleifera (DRUMSTICK) IN KAZAURE TOWNSHIP, JIGAWA STATE OF NIGERIA
Fowotade, S.A. and 2Abdallah S.A.
1,2Department of IJMB, College of Foundation Studies and Enterprenuership Education
Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure, Jigawa, Nigeria
E-mail: fowotades@yahoo.com, asabayu@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The levels of trace metals were determined in the Moringa oleifera (drumstick). The leave, bark and root part samples of Moringa oleifera, located in Kazaure local government area of Jigawa state, Nigeria were analyzed for trace metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometer(AAS). Generally, the plant accumulate metals in the order Fe > Pb > Cr > Cd. The root samples concentrated the highest level of all the metals. The result revealed the accumulated amount of trace metals in leave sample as 0.053mg/kg(Cr), 0.160mg/kg(Pb), 0.573mg/kg(Fe) and 0.035mg/kg(Cd), in the bark sample as 0.199mg/kg(Cr), 0.293mg/kg(Pb), 3.244mg/kg(Fe) and 0.187mg/kg(Cd) and in the root sample as 0.355mg/kg(Cr), 0.393mg/kg(Pb), 10.374mg/kg(Fe) and 0.259mg/kg(Cd). The range of metal concentration determined in Moringa oleifera as a whole is Cr (0.05 – 0.35mg/kg), Pb (0.16 – 0.39 mg/kg), Fe (0.57 – 10.37 mg/kg), and Cd (0.04 – 0.26 mg/kg). The relative high concentration of the lead over chromium is attributable to vehicular emission experienced in the studied area. Levels of metals in the Moringa oleifera sample were generally below the WHO and FAO maximum permissive limits. The values so detected in this study are within safe levels, hence the consumption of Moringa oleifera amidst the inhabitant of Kazaure poses no immediate health hazards.