Authors : N.E. Obasi, C.N. Ubbaonu, C.I. Iwuoha and A. Uzomah
Abstract: The influence of municipal wastes from selected dump sites in Imo State Nigeria, on the mineral and proximate contents of some crops found at the dumps was studied. The dump sites were located at Egbu-Timber road (5°31'57"N, 7°3'55"E) and World Bank layout (5°28'25"N, 7°1'10"E) in Owerri (both in Imo State, Nigeria). The Egbu Timber road dump is a tertiary dump site while the World Bank layout dump is a primary dump site. At the Egbu sample sites, the dump soil chromium content was 91.33% higher than that of the soil of the nearby normal farm. The farm crops also picked significant quantities of chromium. The nickel contents of crops should be watched as a substantial quantity was observed among the samples in relation to the soil nickel contents. There was also no substantial uptake of lead by the plants at this dump site. At the Owerri World Bank Housing Estate sample sites, some of the plants picked up some quantity of lead. There was a significant (p<0.05) pickup of vanadium by the dump pawpaw. The potassium contents of the crops at all the sample sites had the mineral values of the normal farm crops being much higher than those at the dump.
N.E. Obasi, C.N. Ubbaonu, C.I. Iwuoha and A. Uzomah, 2012. Influence of Municipal Wastes on the Mineral Contents of Food Crops Found at Selected Dump Sites in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Journal of Food Technology, 10: 50-58.