Heavy Metal Analysis Of Drinking Water, Pome Contaminated Soil, Palm Oil Mill Effluent, And Selected Vegetable Grown In Pome Irrigated Farmland In Ezeala, Palm Oil Mill Site Of Umuaka, Njaba, Imo State:- Ekwueme, Chiemeka

ABSTRACT xii This study investigated metal content of palm oil mill effluent, palm oil contaminated soil, drinking water and selected vegetables (Ocimum gratissimum (Scent leaf), Talinum fruticoscum (Water leaf), Gongrone malatifolium (Utazi), Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter leaf), Telfairia occidentalis and (Pumpkin leaf) grown in palm oil irrigated farmland in Ezeala, Njaba, Imo State, Nigeria except drinking water every other sample was given preliminary treatment and digested prior to heavy metal analysis. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was caliberated using low to high concentration ofthe respective standard salts and was used to determine the concentration of heavy metal according to the guideline of the manufacturer. The heavy metal determined includes Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Co and Ni. After the evaluation, cadmium was not detected in all vegetable sample and water, while 0.02+ 0.00 concentration of cadmium was detected in soil sample and POME had 0.03+0.00. Chromium was not detected in all vegetable samples, water and POME, but was found to be 0.02+0.00 in the soil, zinc in all vegetable sample range from 0.86+0.01 to 1.61+0.02, while soil concentration was 0.54 +0.00, water was 0.01+0.00 and POME was 0.64+0.00. Iron concentration in vegetable samples range 3.95+0.01 to 5.75+0.02, soil was 18.5+0.40, POME concentration of iron was 0.73+0.00 while water was not detected. Lead was not detected in water, POME and all vegetable samples except Scent leaf which was 0.10+0.00 and soil which was 0.40+0.00. Manganese was not detected in all vegetable samples except utazi which was 0.07+0.00 and water leaf which was 1.17+0.01, soil was 0.03+0.01, while Manganese was not detected in water and POME. Nickel was detected in all vegetable samples which range from 0.03+0.00 to 0.42+0.00 but was not detected in utazi, water and POME. Copper was not detected in POME, water, soil and all vegetable samples except bitter leaf which was 0.10+0.01. Colbat was not detected in all samples collected from Ezeala. The vegetable obtained from the POME irrigated farmland in Ezeala have high useful metals but low toxic heavy metals hence could be prescribed for eating. Also the water could be considered safe for drinking.