Heavy Metal Concentration in Meat Samples from Markets in Oil Producing Communities in Delta State (A Case Study of Owhelogbo, Oleh, Ozoro Market

Abstract

Humans are primarily exposed to heavy metals and trace elements through their diet. The purpose of this study was to determine the  concentration (mg/kg) of heavy metals (copper, lead, cadmium, chromium, and nickel) in beef samples from three main towns in Delta  state (Ozoro, Oleh, and Owhelogbo). A total of 27 samples were collected from local markets in each location and analyzed for heavy  mineral concentration using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. ANOVA was used to analyze the data, and the average mean  concentrations of heavy metals in samples were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range test. The study's results showed that the  amount of toxic elements in samples bought from Owhelogbo was generally low (0.001mg/kg) and within the WHO-approved limit. Also,  samples from Oleh had the highest amount of cadmium (0.07 mg/kg) and it was significantly different (p0.005) from other toxic metals.  In this study, the meat samples from Ozoro had the highest concentration of copper (0.723mg/kg). Nickel and chromium concentrations  in the samples were less than 0.001mg/kg. When the amount of heavy metals in samples from each town was compared, it was found  that the most toxic metals were in samples from Ozoro. When all of the information from this study is looked at together, it shows that  the amount of toxic metals in the meat from the sample locations is generally low. However, the concentrations of these metals need to  be constantly checked to prevent an outbreak of toxic metal poisoning in the future.