Illegal Mining and Armed Banditry in Katsina State, Nigeria: What is their Contribution to the Heavy Metal Pollution of a Popularly Consumed Vegetable?
A. I. Yaradua
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
J. I. Bungudu *
Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, PMB 1157, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
L. Shuaibu
Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, PMB 1157, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
A. Nasir
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. Usman
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
I. H. Kankia
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
N. U. Matazu
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
Z. A. Suleiman
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
F. A. Rumah
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
U. Bello
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. B. Tukur
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. S. Sani
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
R. G. Lawal
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
H. K. Matazu
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. K. Sani
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
Z. G. Kabir
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. I. Yaradua
Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Katsina State, Nigeria.
H. G. Kabir
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
M. I. Halliru
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. Abbas
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
M. M. Dalhatu
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State, Nigeria.
I. A. Yaradua
Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
M. N. Nasir
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University Kano, P.M.B. 3011, Kano, Nigeria.
F. Mukhtar
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
M. Hassan
Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
B. Abdullahi
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. Y. Sabiru
Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
R. Nasir
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
M. A. Rawayau
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
A. N. Muhammad
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, P.M.B. 2218, Katsina, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The health risk to the population from exposure to heavy metals in an area that have witnessed a surge in illegal mining activities, cattle rustling and banditry were evaluated in the current study. Cabbage leaves sample from Makiya village, Jibia local Government area, Katsina State, Nigeria was evaluated for the presence of heavy metals using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The health risks of the evaluated heavy metals in the sample to the population were assessed using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Health Risk Index (HRI)) to assess the possible non-carcinogenic effect and the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) for the cancer risks. The result of the mean concentration value of the evaluated heavy metal Pb from the sample falls above the Maximum Allowable Concentrations (MAC) of heavy metals in leafy vegetables. The concentrations of the other metals including Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn and Cd evaluated in the sample were within the permissible values The result of the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) associated with the evaluated heavy metals exposure through consumption of the sample for adults and children were all below 1. The combined health risks for all the metals in the sample for the adults and children population represented as the HRI were below 1, the result of the Incremental Life Cancer Risk (ILCR) for both the adults and children population shows that all the heavy metals have ILCR that falls within the safety limit for cancer risk. Because of the above permissible Pb concentration in the analysed cabbage leaves sample, it can be deduced that the vegetable is not safe for consumption.
Keywords: Vegetables, health risk, heavy metals, Katsina, banditry, cattle rustling, pollution