Toxic metal levels in food crops grown from dump-sites around Gulu Municipality, Northern Uganda
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Date
2016-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Social Science and Technology
Abstract
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.
Description
Richard Twinamatsiko Department of Physical sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Kampala International
University, Kampala, Uganda
Keywords
Trace metal pollution, Food crops, Gulu Municipality