ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to investigate the level of translocation of heavy metals in vegetables(spinach and okra) with soils samples from farmlands irrigated with Nasarawa Toto River Bank water in Nasarawa state Nigeria. Using atomic absorption spectrophotometry(AAS), concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cr are determined in ten different farmlands were vegetables(spinach and okra) with soils were collected. The ranges of average concentrations of metals (mg/kg) of Pb and Cd in spinach were 0.3884±0.171 ̶ 0.004±0.002, for okra are 0.959±0.1301 ̶  0.008±0.024, and soils  1.315±0.065  ̶ 0.019±0.008 respectively. The mean concentrations of Pb analyzed were all above the WHO/FAO recommended limit. .

 The level of analyzed Cr are all below detection limit, and the cadmium concentration lies below all the WHO/FAO recommended standards. This study reveals that the soils accumulate more of lead than the vegetables (spinach and okra).