Abstract:
Heavy metals are a group of metals and metalloids with relatively high density and are toxic even at ppb levels. Vegetables grown alongside waste water irrigation that retain heavy metals are quite concerning because of the threats to human health. It’s also
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important to research the concentration of heavy metals on non-irrigated farmland used for home vegetable cultivation. This work , therefore, evaluates the effect of season and location on the level of heavy metals of Chromium, Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Manganese, and Selenium in Ethiopian Kale of Akaki Kality planted onirrigated farmland and on non-irrigated home gardening of Gullele sub city in wet and dry season , using ICP-MS model AOAC 2015.01. The results of analysis show that the main effect of location of Akaki Kality irrigated farm land on the buildup of Chromium, Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Manganese and Seleniumwere 5.52mg/kg, 0.09 mg/kg, 0.50 mg/kg, 12.3 mg/kg, 0.002 mg/kg, 24.26 mg/kg and 0.06 mg/kg respectively and the main effect of home gardening non irrigated land for those heavy metals were 12.19 mg/kg, 0.03 mg/kg, 0.40 mg/kg, 12.73 mg/kg, 0.002 mg/kg, 113.59 mg/kg and 0.04 mg/kg respectively. And the main effect of season on the buildup of Chromium, Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Manganese and Selenium in the wet season were 16.46mg/kg, 0.12mg/kg, 0.10mg/kg, 24.6 mg/kg, 0.002 mg/kg, 0.10 mg/kg and 0.09 mg/kg respectively and in the dry season 1.25 mg/kg, 0.002 mg/kg, 0.80 mg/kg, 0.003 mg/kg, 0.002 mg/kg, 137.75 mg/kg and 0.01 mg/kg respectively. The average values of heavy metal content obtained were compared to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Standard limits, Cadmium 0.2 mg/kg, Lead 0.3 mg/kg, Chromium2.3 mg/kg, Manganese 0.4 mg/kg. The study's findings indicate that the concentration of heavy metals is mostly influenced by location and season and that the concentration surpassed the FAO/WHO established permitted limits. Therefore, consumption of these vegetables grown on both location and season may have impact to adverse effects of these heavy metals. This may pose a serious health challenge on long term consumption of theEthiopian kale.
Key words :- Heavy metals, irrigation, Akaki water, Ethiopian Kale, vegetables and home gardening