Quantitative Evaluation of Organochlorine Pollutants in Cabbage Plant Cultivated Along River Getsi, Kano State
1A. E. Ekevwe; 2A. A. Nuhu; 2Z. I. Yashim & 2E. D. Paul
1Department of Chemistry, Federal College of Education (Technical) Bichi, Kano
2Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Email: upambrose@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Contamination of cabbage plant cultivated along river Getsi through water, soil and air by industrial, domestic and agricultural waste poses great health risk to the public when consumed. The study is aimed at evaluating the health risk associated with organochlorine pollutants (OCPs) in cabbage plant cultivated along River Getsi. Cabbage plant samples are collected fresh in the farmyard, with clean sampling container, washed, dried, extracted, cleaned up before identification and determination of organochlorine pollutants. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) equipped with Electron Capture Detector (ECD) was used for the analysis. Percentage recovery obtained was 53% with a spiked sample concentration of 0.264µg/kg and control sample concentration of 0.155ng/kg. The concentration 0.007µg/kg of the analyte in cabbage was below the WHO and NESREA guideline limit of 0.01mg/kg. Hence, there are detective concentration of OCPs in cabbage plant examined, continuous exposure may exceed threshold level, which is dangerous,so it is necessary for regulatory bodies to prevent and minimized the contamination load.
Keyword: Gas Chromatography, Mass Spectrometer, Electron Capture Detector, organochlorine pollutant.
