scholarly journals Comparative Study of Heavy Metals in Breast Milk of Breast Feeding Mothers in Urban and Sub-Urban Subjects in Rivers State

2021 ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Diorgu Faith ◽  
Kalaotaji Glory Biambo ◽  
Jonathan Nyebuchi ◽  
Chikadibia Fyneface Amadi ◽  
Felix Eedee Konne
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Breast Milk ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Postpartum Women ◽  
Human Breast Milk ◽  
Metal Composition ◽  
Urban Settlements ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Rivers State

Breast milk is one fluid that could contain heavy metals and this can be dangerous to the health of breastfeeding baby. The increase in urbanization and industrialization often comes with the increased level of heavy metals in the environment especially in developing countries where environmental protection is poorly managed. The study aimed to compare the heavy metal composition in breast milk in postpartum women in urban and sub-urban areas in Rivers State. The study was conducted among 59 postpartum subjects between 0 and 10days of child delivery in each group. Sampling was done through a simple randomized system. Human breast milk was collected using a manual breast pump. Heavy metals; Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg) and Mercury (Hg) were assayed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer with their corresponding cathode lambs. Results revealed that the mean differences of the heavy metals assayed between both groups were not significant (p>0.05). This work has shown that heavy metal composition in the breast milk of postpartum women may not vary based on urban and sub-urban settlements.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Nutrient Composition in Breast Milk of Breast Feeding Mothers in Urban and Sub-Urban Subjects in Rivers State

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
Ikewuchi Catherine ◽  
Kalaotaji Glory Biambo ◽  
Jonathan Nyebuchi ◽  
Amadi Chikadibia Fyneface ◽  
Nwika Goodnews
Keyword(s):  
Breast Milk ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Lipid Level ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
P Value ◽  
Human Breast Milk ◽  
Human Breast ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Group ◽  
Rivers State

The human breast milk is considered to be the perfect food for infants, specifically adapted to their needs. Changes in lifestyle and environment may impact on breast milk composition. This study was aimed at comparing the nutrients composition in breast milk in postpartum women in urban and sub-urban areas in Rivers State. The cross-sectional study was conducted among 59 postpartum subjects between 0 and 10days of child delivery in each group. Sampling was done through a simple random sampling method. Human breast milk was collected by means of a manual breast pump for the analysis of carbohydrate, protein and lipid using ClegAnthrone Method, Kjedahl Method and Soxhelt Extraction Method respectively. The results revealed that carbohydrate level was 6.1±0.5% in urban group and 5.0±0.1% in sub-urban group which was statistically significant (t-value=2.2; p-value=0.04). Protein level was 3.5±0.6% in urban group and 3.9±0.3% in sub-urban group which was statistically non-significant (t-value=0.6; p-value=0.57).  Lipid level was 6.1±0.5% and 5.0±0.1% in urban and sub-urban groups respectively which was statistically non- significant (t-value=1.2; p-value=0.27). This study has revealed that differences in settlements (urban and sub-urban) have no impact on breast milk composition except in carbohydrate.

Lightweight aggregates to reduce heavy metal pollution in green infrastructure for urban stormwater management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Concepcion Pla ◽  
Javier Valdes-Abellan ◽  
Miguel Angel Pardo ◽  
Maria Jose Moya-Llamas ◽  
David Benavente
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Metal Pollution ◽  
Heavy Metal Pollution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Stormwater Management ◽  
Lightweight Aggregates ◽  
Urban Stormwater ◽  
Runoff Water

<p>The impervious nature of urban areas is mostly responsible for urban flooding, runoff water pollution and the interception of groundwater recharge. Green infrastructure and sustainable urban drainage systems combine natural and artificial measures to mitigate the abovementioned problems, improving stormwater management and simultaneously increasing the environmental values of urban areas. The actual rate of urban growth in many urban areas requires the enhancement and optimization of stormwater management infrastructures to integrate the territorial development with the natural processes. Regarding the quality of runoff stormwater, heavy metals are critical for their impact on human health and ecological systems, even more if we consider the cumulative effect that they produce on biota. Thus, innovative stormwater management approaches must consider new solutions to deal with heavy metal pollution problems caused by runoff. In this study, we propose the employment of Arlita<sup>®</sup> and Filtralite<sup>®</sup>, two kind of lightweight aggregates obtained from expanded clays, to remove heavy metal concentration from runoff stormwater. Laboratory experiments were developed to evaluate the removal rate of different heavy metals existent in runoff stormwater. The lightweight aggregates acted as filter materials in column experiments to quantify their removal capacity. In addition, batch tests were also developed to evaluate the exhaustive capacity of the materials. Results from the study confirmed the efficiency of the selected lightweight aggregates to reduce the heavy metals concentration by up to 90% in urban stormwater runoff.</p>

scholarly journals Assessment of Physicochemical Properties and Heavy Metal Load in Soils of Ebocha Gas Flaring Site in Rivers State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
O. I. Achieche ◽  
O. O. Njoku ◽  
C. M. Duru ◽  
M. O. Nwachukwu
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Calcium Content ◽  
Gas Flaring ◽  
Metal Load ◽  
Acidic Nature ◽  
Rivers State

The negative impact of gas flaring on the environment cannot be overemphasised. This study assessed the effect of gas flaring on the physicochemical properties and heavy metal contents in soils of Ebocha gas flaring site in Rivers State. It involved the assessment of various distances from gas flaring point to 200 meters away (50 m, 100 m, 150 m, and 200 m) which represents the extent of gas flared pollution on soils to determine the physicochemical properties and heavy metal load. The gas flaring significantly decreased soil organic carbon and calcium content when compared with non-gas flaring polluted soils. Soil acidity increased, soil exchangeable ions decreased. N, P and K were altered in gas flared soils when compared to the controls. There were detrimental effects on soils physicochemical properties. Heavy metals observed were Cd (Cadmium), Ni (Nickel), As (Arsenic), Cr (Chromium), while Pb (Lead) was not detected. The concentration of heavy metals in gas flared soils decreases down soil depth from 0-15 cm to 45-60 cm respectively. The gas flaring extremely caused the acidic nature of gas flared soils. Coefficient of variation (CV) in percentage shows significant increase in acidic nature of the gas flared soils when compared with the control soils.

scholarly journals Spatial variability in heavy metal concentration in urban pavement joints – a case study

SOIL ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-31
Author(s):  
Collin J. Weber ◽  
Alexander Santowski ◽  
Peter Chifflard
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Spearman Correlation ◽  
Alkaline Ph ◽  
Run Off

Abstract. Heavy metals are known to be among one of the major environmental pollutants, especially in urban areas, and, as generally known, can pose environmental risks and direct risks to humans. This study deals with the spatial distribution of heavy metals in different pavement joints in the inner city area of Marburg (Hesse, Germany). Pavement joints, defined as the joint between paving stones and filled with different materials, have so far hardly been considered as anthropogenic materials and potential pollution sources in urban areas. Nevertheless, they have an important role as possible sites of infiltration for surface run-off accumulation areas and are therefore a key feature of urban water regimes. In order to investigate the spatial variability in heavy metals in pavement joints, a geospatial sampling approach was carried out on six inner city sampling sites, followed by heavy metal analyses via inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) and additional pH and organic matter analyses. A first risk assessment of heavy metal pollution from pavement joints was performed. Pavement joints examined consist mainly of basaltic gravel, sands, organic material and anthropogenic artefacts (e.g. glass and plastics), with an average joint size of 0.89 cm and a vertical depth of 2–10 cm. In general, the pavement joint material shows high organic matter loads (average 11.0 % by mass) and neutral to alkaline pH values. Besides high Al and Fe content, the heavy metals Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb are mainly responsible for the contamination of pavement joints. The identified spatial pattern of maximum heavy metal loads in pavement joints could not be attributed solely to traffic emissions, as commonly reported for urban areas. Higher concentrations were detected at run-off accumulation areas (e.g. drainage gutters) and at the lowest sampling points with high drainage accumulation tendencies. Additional Spearman correlation analyses show a clear positive correlation between the run-off accumulation value and calculated exposure factor (ExF; Spearman correlation coefficients (rSP) – 0.80; p<0.00). Further correlation analyses revealed different accumulation and mobility tendencies of heavy metals in pavement joints. Based on sorption processes with humic substances and an overall alkaline pH milieu, especially Cu, Cd and Pb showed a low potential mobility and strong adsorption tendency, which could lead to an accumulation and fixation of heavy metals in pavement joints. The presence of heavy metals in pavement joints poses a direct risk for urban environments and may also affect environments out of urban areas if drainage transports accumulated heavy metals. Finally, we encourage further research to give more attention to this special field of urban anthropogenic materials and potential risks for urban environments. Overall urban geochemical background values, and the consideration of run-off-related transport processes on pavements, are needed to develop effective management strategies of urban pavement soil pollution.

scholarly journals The Land Snail, Eobania vermiculata, as a Bioindicator of the Heavy Metal Pollution in the Urban Areas of Sulaimani, Iraq

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13719
Author(s):  
Aso H. Saeed H. Salih ◽  
Abdullah A. Hama ◽  
Karzan A. M. Hawrami ◽  
Allah Ditta
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Permissible Limits ◽  
Eobania Vermiculata

Land snails are crucial consumers in the terrestrial environment and beneficial significant bioindicators to evaluate the chemical impact in the ecosystem, especially on urban lands. The present study aimed to investigate the concentration of heavy metals such as As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in urban soil and study whether Eobania vermiculata acts as a bioindicator for heavy metal contamination in an urban area. Thirty soil and snail samples in triplicate from each sampling site were taken from the urban areas of Suliamani. After a microwave-assisted digestion procedure, every sample was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Results showed that the concentration of chromium (Cr) in each snail sample was significantly high. The maximum Cr concentration (15.87 mg kg−1) was recorded in the snail sample collected from Ali Kamal Park, which was adjacent to a very crowded traffic road. The As concentration in snail samples ranged from 0.08 to 1.004 mg kg−1, and it was below the permissible limits. However, the concentrations of heavy metals in urban soil locations were below their background measurements, except for nickel (Ni) which was above the permissible limits. The safest site in the study area was Chaviland 1, while the most contaminated site was the Ha-wary Shar Park. The snails bioaccumulated metals in their tissues in the following order, Cr > Zn > Ni, and this bioaccumulation occurred more on the main road locations, which represented potentially contaminated places due to anthropogenic activities. Moreover, there was no correlation among the heavy metals within the soil samples when compared to the similar metals in the snail samples, due to the low concentration of heavy metals in soil, excluding Ni, from where the snail samples were collected. Consequently, the land snail, E. vermiculata, is an appropriate sentinel organism for some metals, mainly for Cr, and the bioindicator monitoring with this snail should be extended to mixtures of heavy metals, since such relationships frequently occur in soil.

scholarly journals Heavy Metals and Safety of Fresh Fruits in Bangalore City, India - A Case Study

1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Esmael Mahdavian ◽  
RK Somashekar
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Metal Contamination ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Food Adulteration ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Sanitary Conditions ◽  
Food Safety Standards

Urban food security in India is a matter of growing concern. It is estimated that by 2005, 60% of India's population will be living in urban areas. The presence of heavy metals in human body always draws scientific concern as these are considered responsible for affecting health, especially in these days where the release of toxic wastes in the environment has been increased. The increasing trends in food contamination in urban areas are largely attributed to the polluted environment in urban agriculture, contaminated food transport and supply chains; poor market sanitary conditions, and the use of contaminated or waste water for irrigation purposes. The objectives of this paper to measure the levels of heavy metal contamination of fruits in Bangalore markets and assess how the heavy metal contamination might have impacted food safety standards vis a vis heavy metals on urban consumers. The results show that urban consumers are at greater risk of purchasing fresh fruits with high levels of heavy metals beyond the legally permissible limits as defined by the Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. It must be noted here that these norms are less strict than international food safety norms like Codex Alimentarius or European Union standards. It is therefore suggested here that care should be taken in the following: reduce pollution at water source points; improve post harvest handling; enhance better coordination in fresh crops trading system to improve food safety standards; improve sanitary conditions for the city food markets; and increase awareness in consumers and policy makers on the dangers of heavy metal contamination in the food intake. Keywords: Heavy metals; Prevention of Food Adulteration Act; Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) DOI: 10.3126/kuset.v4i1.2880 Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol.4, No.1, September 2008, pp 17-27

HEAVY METALS IN FOOD CROPS: IDEAL SOURCES AND ROLES OF URBAN AGRICULTURE IN FACILITATING THEIR CONSUMPTION- A REVIEW

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-45
Author(s):  
N. Abdullahi ◽  
E. C Igwe ◽  
M. A. Dandago ◽  
N. B. Umar
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Soil ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Wastewater Irrigation ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Urban Food Production ◽  
Soil And Water

The qualities of agricultural soil and water are diminishing continuously due to the rigorous anthropogenic activities currently stocking the soil with a lot of toxic chemicals including heavy metals. Heavy metals are highly persistent and non-biodegradable, control of their contamination is very tricky to handle. Their presence in soil and water is detrimental to food crops and humans. Various sources of heavy metals contaminants and the role of urban food production on human heavy metal contamination were discussed.Heavy metals have their way into the soil and food crops through wastewater irrigation and production in contaminated soil. The habitual heavy metals contamination sources for food crops are wastewater irrigation, abuse of agrochemicals, production in the contaminated field, atmospheric deposit when foods are exposed to contaminated air, and unethical mining activities. Agricultural soil in urban and peri-urban areas are heavily contaminated with heavy metal due to various anthropogenic activities. Wastewater irrigation intensify the contamination by supplying the soil with more heavy metals. The heavy metals are passed to food during production and subsequently to humans after consumption.

Emissions of heavy metals into river basins of Germany

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 251-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Scherer ◽  
S. Fuchs ◽  
H. Behrendt ◽  
T. Hillenbrand
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Large River ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Large River Basins

The input of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) into the large river basins of Germany via various point and diffuse pathways were estimated for the period of 1985 through 2000. To quantify the emissions via point sources a nationwide survey on heavy metal data of municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial direct discharges was carried out. The input via diffuse pathways was calculated using an adapted version of the model MONERIS. This model accounts for the significant transport processes, and it includes a Geographical Information System (GIS) that provides digital maps as well as extensive statistical information. For a comparison of the calculated heavy metal emission with the measured heavy metal load at monitoring stations the losses of heavy metals due to retention processes within the river systems have to be considered. Therefore heavy metal retention was calculated according to the retention functions given by Vink and Behrendt. For the large river basins a good correspondence could be found between estimated and measured heavy metal loads in rivers. The total emission into the North Sea decreased for each metal during the period of 1985 to 2000. The reduction varies between 87% for Hg and 41% for Ni mainly caused by the decline via point sources. Today's emissions of heavy metals into river basins of Germany are dominated by the input via diffuse pathways. The most important diffuse emission pathways are “paved urban areas” and “erosion”.

scholarly journals Analysis of concentration trends and origins of heavy metal loads in stormwater runoff in selected cities: A review

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 00111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julita Milik ◽  
Rafał Pasela
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Stormwater Runoff ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Liquid Fuels

The currently heavy metal pollution in rainwater is a huge problem, especially in industrial areas. Sediment from devices for stormwater runoff treatment, especially those located in city centers, industrial districts and within the area of highways is characterized by a high content of heavy metals and is found to be most contaminated. A significant fraction of these harmful chemicals are deposited on the surface of highways and urban roads and eventually transported into local waterbodies by stormwater runoff that is the primary source of water quality impairments in urban areas. This review analyzes and interprets the collected results of tests for the content of heavy metals in sediments from the urban drainage to determine the actual threat they pose to the environment. As a result of the combustion of liquid fuels, significant amounts of nickel, vanadium, cadmium and zinc get into the aquatic environment. Due to the amount of sediments accumulated in the rainwater drainage system, periodic pollution monitoring should be carried out leading to the determination of the method of management and utilization of sludge. The use of separators contributes to the reduction of the presence of heavy metals in the aquatic environment.

scholarly journals Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Pawpaw (Carica papaya Linn.) around Automobile Workshops in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (14) ◽  
pp. 48-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olatunde Sunday Eludoyin ◽  
Onisoya Margaret Ogbe
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Carica Papaya ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentrations ◽  
Port Harcourt ◽  
Supporting Soil ◽  
Rivers State

Background. Consumption of plants such as Carica papaya grown around automobile workshops is common in big cities in Nigeria. However, little is known about the heavy metals contamination of these consumables due to the influence of automobile emissions during maintenance activities. Objectives. This study aimed to assess heavy metal concentrations in C. papaya and supporting soils around automobile workshops in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods. Seven automobile workshops were used for the present study. First, 20 m × 20 m quadrats were laid out for soil and C. papaya tissue sampling. One composite soil sample was collected from the topsoil (0–15 cm depth) around each of the automobile workshops. Three C. papaya stands at least 30 cm apart around each workshop were used for the study and from these stands, tissues (root, stem, leaf, fruit) of C. papaya were collected. Standard laboratory techniques were used to determine the pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and heavy metals (lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn)) in the soil samples and C. papaya tissues. Pairwise t-test was used to determine significant differences (p&lt;0.05) in the heavy metal concentrations in soil and C. papaya tissues between the sample and control sites, while correlation statistics were used to determine the relationship of heavy metal concentrations between soil and C. papaya tissues. Results. C. papaya tissues and supporting soil had significantly higher levels of pH, EC and heavy metals in the sampled plots than the control plot. The heavy metal concentrations in C. papaya and soil occurred in the decreasing order of Pb&gt;Cu&gt;Hg&gt;Zn&gt;Cd. The fruit of C. papaya had the highest mean concentrations of Pb (51.4±14.1 mg/kg) and Zn (26.4±1.9 mg/kg), while the leaf had the highest mean concentration of Hg (32.0±2.3 mg/kg). The pH, Cu and Zn in the supporting soil were significantly correlated with the levels in the C. papaya tissues. Conclusion. Bio-accumulation of heavy metals by C. papaya is evident around automobile workshops, and Pb, Hg, Cd concentrations were found to be above the permissible limits for human consumption according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Consumption of food materials grown around automobile workshops could pose health risks. Competing interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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