Browsing by Author "Twinomuhwezi, Hannington"

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    Toxic metal levels in food crops grown from dump-sites around Gulu Municipality, Northern Uganda
    (International Journal of Social Science and Technology, 2016-07) Twinamatsiko, Richard; Mbabazi, Jolocam; Twinomuhwezi, Hannington
    This study investigated heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd) contamination levels of soils and crops. Soil and plant samples were collected from farms around the dump sites in Gulu Township Pece wet land and other samples from Katikamwe wet land in Bushenyi which served as a control site. The samples from both sites were well prepared, digested and the level of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed that metal levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in Pece wet land were significantly higher than those in similar food crops from rural control sites with the exception of zinc in cocoyam. Despite the higher values of these metals than those of the control sites, its only lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) that exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum permissible levels. It was also observed that heavy metal uptake depend on plant species and soil quality.