Exposure to Heavy Metals in Nigeria through Land, Water and Fish
Author(s): Abubakar Aji, Serdar Surgun and Senol Dane*
Abstract
Background: Heavy metals cause some health problems such as anemia, kidney failure, neurological damage, loss of memory, and loss of appetite in the human system. The main objectives of the study are to analyze and determine the concentration of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb) in soil, drinking water, and fish samples in Nigeria. Material and Methods: Soil, water, and fish samples were randomly taken from different regions in Nigeria. The heavy metals analysis of all the samples was carried out using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry in the Center for Dryland Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. Results: These heavy metals were at different levels of contamination, and some are above the maximum permissible limit. It could be said that they are the contributors to the kidney problem of the population of studies. Conclusions: The root cause of chronic kidney disease is related to those metals as their levels were higher in some of the samples than the maximum permissible limit of the local and international standards.