Analysis of Heavy Metals in Soils and Plants Along Roadsides in Lafia, Nigeria

Gbenga Akomolafe, Amaka Nkemdy

Transactions on Science and Technology, 7(3), 101 - 107.

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ABSTRACT
The menace of air pollution through vehicular movements in many urban cities across the world has increased tremendously. This study aimed at determining the heavy metal accumulation in soils and plants growing by the roadside in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Two common plants (Hyptis suaveolens and Urena lobata) by the roadsides together with the soils were sampled using a simple stratified random sampling technique. Sampling was done at three locations (0m, 10m and 20m) away from three most plied highways in Lafia. The concentrations of the heavy metals (Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn)) were determined in all the samples in triplicates using standard methods. The results revealed varying concentrations of the heavy metals in the soils and plants at the three study sites. The concentration of Cu in the soils and plants ranged from 0.08 – 0.4ppm and 0.1 – 0.4ppm respectively while that of Zn in soils and plants ranges from 0.1 – 1.5ppm and 0.1 – 1.3ppm respectively. The pattern of concentrations of the heavy metals in both the soils and plants are in the order of Pb < Cu < Zn across all the sites. Even though there was no significant difference in the heavy metals concentrations between 0m, 10m and 20m away from the road sides, the metals are still more concentrated at the 0m of the sites. Pb was found to be below the detection limit at most of the sites.

KEYWORDS: Air pollution; Hyptis suaveolens; Lafia; Phytoremediation; Urena lobata



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