Telfairia Occidentalis, Celosia Argentea and Amaranthus Hybridus Cultivated Within Farmlands in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos State
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
J. Chem Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp 59 - 68 [2018] Impact of Textile Wastewater on Whole Plants of Corchorous olitorius, Telfairia occidentalis, Celosia argentea and Amaranthus hybridus Cultivated within Farmlands in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos State. O. C. OBIJIOFOR*, P. A. C. OKOYE and I. O. C. EKEJIUBA Dept. of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. *Corresponding author’s email- [email protected] Received 22 September 2017; accepted 18 December 2017, published online 5 April 2018 Abstract Soil contamination with heavy metal due to discharge of untreated or incompletely treated industrial effluent is a threat to the ecosystem and human well-being. The effect of textile waste effluent on four vegetable plants (Corchorous olitorius, Telfairia occidentalis, Celosia argentea and Amaranthus hybridus) cultivated within farmlands located along the Abuja River in Ibeshe town near Ikorodu, Lagos State was investigated. Their heavy metal levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer (Perkin Elmer, Analyst 200) after digestion with the appropriate mixture of triacids. In food crops grown with textile industry wastewater, the extent of heavy metal enrichment varied with individual plant in the order Zn>Mn>Fe>Ni>Cr>Pb>Cu>Cd for Corchorous olitorius, Zn>Fe>Mn>Ni>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd for Telfairia occidentalis, Zn>Fe>Ni>Mn>Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd for Celosia argentea and Zn>Fe>Ni>Mn>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd for Amaranthus hybridus while their respective control samples were in the order Zn>Mn>Fe>Ni>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd for Corchorous olitorius, Zn> Fe >Ni>Mn>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd for Telfairia occidentalis, Zn>Fe>Ni>Cu>Mn>Cr>Pb>Cd for Celosia argentea and Zn>Fe>Mn>Ni>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd for Amaranthus hybridus. Continuous wastewater irrigation of the agricultural land has caused a significant buildup of heavy metals in wastewater irrigated soil compared with the well water irrigated soil. The present study revealed that wastewater irrigated soil, wastewater and food crops grown around the textile industry were enriched with Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr and Cd. Long-term use of wastewater for irrigation purpose may lead to severe risk to consumers’ health as, this study has already shown a severe risk to human health by the four vegetables. BCFs for Pb, Cu, Cr and Cd were <1 and >1 for Fe and Zn in both the original and control samples of the four plants. The control samples had BCFs <1for Mn and Ni while the original sample of Corchorous olitorius had Mn >1 and Ni >1 for the original samples of Corchorous olitorius, Telfairia occidentalis and Celosia argentea. The investigation showed that the mean concentrations of some of the heavy metals analysed were not within the permissible limits for vegetables thus caution should be taken in consuming spontaneously growing vegetables. Keywords: Vegetable plants, Textile effluents, Irrigation water, Heavy metals and BCF 1.0 INTRODUCTION The growing demand of water for irrigation has agricultural activities, and their risk to people are of great produced a marked increase in the reuse of treated and/or public concern (Kihampa et al., 2011; Chukwuemeka et untreated wastewater worldwide (Mohammed and al., 2015). Abdullahi, 2010; Chiroma et al., 2012). Long-term use of untreated sewage water which is mainly used for the Consumption of foods contaminated with heavy metals is irrigation of leafy and other vegetables, has resulted in a major cause of health problems (Osu and Ogoko, 2014; the accumulation of heavy metals in soils and their Chukwuemeka et al., 2015). Heavy metals are transfer to the various crops under cultivation, with bioconcentrated or bioaccumulated in one or several levels of contamination that exceed the maximum compartments across food webs (Oyewo, 1998; Otitoloju permissible limits (Mohsen and Mohsen, 2008). and Don-Pedro, 2004; Judith et al., 2013). Metal bioaccumulation can be of importance from the public In many local and urban areas, lands lying along the health point of view, especially for human at the end of course of urban drainage systems are used for the the food chain. An important link in the transfer of heavy production of agricultural products (such as vegetables) metals from soil/sediment to man is plants (Lozark, that are in high demand by urban dwellers (Chiroma et 2001; Judith et al., 2013). al., 2012). The accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils is Leafy vegetables tend to accumulate higher of increasing concern due to the food safety issues and concentrations of metals in edible tissue compared to potential health risks as well as its detrimental effects on fruit. Vegetables can become contaminated with heavy soil ecosystems (McLaughlin et al., 1999; Afshin and metals if they are grown on soils contaminated by Farid, 2007). Apart from the fact that many of the crops vehicular exhaust, industrial activities, and other have ability to remove these inorganic chemicals, 1 J. Chem Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp 59 - 68 [2018] especially the heavy metals from the soil and store them in different parts of the plants (Adewole et al., 2009), they are also dangerous to human health, if ingested (Adewole and Uchegbu, 2010). 2. 0 STUDY AREA The study area was majorly the Abuja River (river Health risk assessment of heavy metals in contaminated behind the United Nigeria Textile Plc, UNT, now called vegetables is being carried out in developed countries Nichemtex) which is located in Ibeshe town near (Milacic and Kralj, 2003; Adeel and Riffat, 2014); Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. The textile industry however, little is explored in developing countries (Lock occupies a large expanse of land in the vicinity while and de Zeeuw, 2001; Adeel and Riffat, 2014). banks and residential houses occupy the neighbouring This study was aimed at assessing the bioconcentration lands. The industry is located along a major express road. of heavy metals (iron, Fe; manganese, Mn; zinc, Zn; Very tall palm trees and vegetable gardens abound lead, Pb; copper, Cu; nickel, Ni; chromium, Cr and within the surroundings of this textile industry. The cadmium, Cd) in four (4) frequently consumed vegetables (Corchorous olitorius, Telfairia occidentalis, Celosia argentea and Amaranthus hybridus) cultivated around the textile industry in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos. industry produces large amount of wastewater which flows through the soil to the surrounding gardens. The sampling was carried out around the surrounding of United Nigeria Textile PLC (UNT), which is located in Ibeshe town near Ikorodu, Lagos State. Figure 1: Map of the Study Area (Google Map, 2017) 2 J. Chem Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp 59 - 68 [2018] Metal Unit WHO/FAO standard Fe mg/Kg 4.8 Mn mg/Kg 6.0 Zn mg/Kg 6.0 Pb mg/Kg 0.1 Cu mg/Kg 7.0 Ni mg/Kg 1.0 Cr mg/Kg 0.1 Cd mg/Kg 0.1 FAO/WHO standards from: Cordex Alimentirus Commission (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods). FAO – Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations WHO – World Health Organization 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 3.1 Water Sampling and taken to the Botany Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria for Water samples that were used for irrigation purposes identification and harvesting into edible (leaf) and non- were collected from the river into which the textile edible parts (Stem and root). The vegetables were effluents were discharged using a pre-cleaned, high- washed with tap water to remove depositions like soil density polyethylene bottles. The bottles were earlier particles while their edible and non-edible parts were rinsed with a metal-free soap, soaked in 10% HNO3 separately oven dried at 105 overnight, and washed with deionized water (Chary et al., 2008). Samples were then stored at 4 for further Whole plants of the four selected plant samples were analytical use. washed under running water to remove adhered soil particles, rinsed with deionized water to wash off 3.2 Soil Sampling remaining dirts, separated into roots, shoots and leaves Soils from agricultural lands (textile wastewater irrigated and sundried to remove moisture. They were then dried soil and well water irrigated soil) were collected by in an oven at 105 C to constant weight, and pulverized to digging a monolith of 10 by 10 by 15 size from each fine powder using a laboratory grinder and 2 mm mesh sampling point using a plastic scooper. Non soil particles for further analysis. A complete description of vegetables e.g. stones, wooden pieces, rocks, gravels, organic debris collected from the study area is given in Table 1. were removed from the soil. The soil was oven dried and 3.4 Analytical Procedure sieved through a 2 mm sieve and stored in the labelled polythene sampling bags (Lei et al., 2008; Adeel and The separately ground leaf, stem and root samples were 3 3 Riffat, 2008). digested with 1.0 cm conc. HClO4, 5 cm conc. HNO3, 3 3 and 0.5 cm conc. H2SO4 in a 50 cm Kjeldahl flask. The 3.3 Plant Sampling control samples were prepared by repeating the same Corchorous olitorius, Telfairia occidentalis, Celosia procedure. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, argentea and Amaranthus hybridus (Table 3.1) were Cr and Cd were determined using atomic absorption collected from each site of the sampling zone in four (4) spectrometer (Perkin Elmer, Analyst 200). A calibration replicates and stored in labelled polythene sampling bags graph was plotted for each element using measured absorbance and the corresponding concentration. 3.5 Heavy Metals Bioconcentration Factor in Plant Bioconcentration factor (BCF), soil to plant transfer factor, was used to determine the quantity of heavy metals absorbed by the plant from the soil (Ghos and Singh, 2005; Judith, 2013).