Analysis of Heavy Metals in Tea Soil, Tea Leaves and Seagim Dam Water across the Seasons in Kakara District of Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

The levels of heavy metals were assessed in tea soil, tea leaves and Seagim dam water samples collected from Kakara tea estate, Taraba State. The concentration of heavy metals was determined by the use of AAS. The concentration of Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in all the soil samples collected across the season ranged from [6.102-11.00],[0.023-0.873],[0.029-0.058],[0.241-0.410],[0.900-1.958],[1.366-20.80],[0.263-0.496],[0.023-0.496],[0.018-0.068]and[0.110-0.275] mg/kg, the concentration of Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in all the leaves samples collected across the season ranged from [0.982-3.566],[0.014-0.029],[0.010-0.071],[0.059-0.204],[0.066-0.755],[19.98-38.66],[0.106-0.369], [0.008-0.031], [0.006-0.099] and [0.080-0.199) mg/kg, the concentration of Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in all the water samples collected across the season ranged from [9.029-13.74],[0.014-0.151],[0.063-0.114],[0.090-0.204],[1.604-2.069],[3.013-6.711],[0.262-0.429],[0.058-0.112],[0.043-0.113] and [0.128-0.225] mg/dm3 respectively. The result analysis showed that the mean concentration of heavy metal was higher in wet season than in dry season and among the metals analyzed K, Ca and Fe were the most abundance in all the samples. The concentrations of heavy were found to belower than the maximum permissible level.