Oketayo Oyedele Oyebamiji; Suaib Olaniyan; Peter Opeyemi Idowu; Oluwatosin Ojo; Joel Oladepo
Abstract
This study investigated the concentrations of ten heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As) in soil samples from goldsmith workshops in Otun-Ekiti, Nigeria, using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). Control samples were also collected outside the workshops for comparison. The ...
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This study investigated the concentrations of ten heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As) in soil samples from goldsmith workshops in Otun-Ekiti, Nigeria, using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). Control samples were also collected outside the workshops for comparison. The metal levels in the workshop samples ranged from 0.009 to 0.056 mg/kg for Cd, 6.418 to 34.598 mg/kg for Cu, 0.876 to 4.978 mg/kg for Cr, 0.024 to 0.229 mg/kg for Co, 766.744 to 1062.958 mg/kg for Fe, 16.089 to 27.539 mg/kg for Mn, 0.666 to 1.435 mg/kg for Ni, 2.075 to 2.987 mg/kg for Pb, 24.474 to 36.310 mg/kg for Zn, and 0.012 to 0.117 mg/kg for As. The metal levels in the workshop samples were higher than the control samples (significant at p < 0.05). Chromium (Cr) had the highest hazard quotient, while zinc (Zn) had the lowest. The hazard indices (HQ and HI) were below acceptable levels, indicating a low likelihood of non-carcinogenic health risks. However, workshops at sites 2, 3, and 4 posed a medium cancer risk with Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) values. The heavy metals were slightly enriched in Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, except for Zn in site 1. Overall, the study found slight soil contamination with heavy metals, suggesting unsuitability for farming in these areas.
