Analysis of Essential and Non-Essential Heavy Metals in Tomato and Soil in Ziway Urban Area, East Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Jemal Mohammed
Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia

Emebet Sisay
Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia

Abstract

Heavy metals in agricultural soils posed significant dangers to human health and the ecosystem. In the current research, the concentration of Fe and Zn (needful metals) and Cd, Cr, and Pb (non-needful metals) were determined in tomato and tomato soil samples by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). Samples were collected from three different agricultural land of Gerbi Gilgila irrigation land of east Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. A wet digestion method employing nitric acid (4 mL) and perchloric acid solution (1 mL) was used for the digestion of the samples. The findings showed the presence of various metals in tomato soil samples, measured in mg kg^-1 on a dry weight basis, within the following ranges: Zn (3.454±0.069), Pb (0.814±0.016), Cr and Cd (0.001±0.002), and Fe (100.63±0.173). Overall, the metal levels in tomato soil from the Geribi Gilgila site decreased in this order: Fe was the biggest, followed by Zn, then Pb, while Cr and Cd were at the same level. Similarly, soil samples from non-tomato soil showed that Fe was greater than Zn, which was greater than Pb, while Cr and Cd were also equal. Interestingly, the tomato soil samples exhibited the exact same pattern, with Fe greater than Zn, which was greater than Pb, and Cr equal to Cd. The metal levels in the analyzed tomato samples were lower the WHO safe limit; indicating they are benign for human intake and can serve as a nice source of needful nutrients. The study results revealed that tomato grown in those areas is not contaminated so it is fit to use as food item.

Keywords: Needful metals, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, Soil, Wet digestion

Author Biographies

Jemal Mohammed, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia

Emebet Sisay, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia