Iron as a Reference Element for the Determination of Pb Enrichment /Depletion in Selected Contaminated Arable Soils of Nigeria

Abstract

Lead (Pb) concentration was assessed of the arable soils in the vicinity of mining and dumping sites in Nigeria. Its contents in the arable soils assayed by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry, (AAS) ranged from 6.8 – 47.8 mg/kg. The enrichment factor (EF) calculated by using calcium as a reference element fell within a range of 281.5-2866.8. The mean values of the enrichment factor of 1045.2 classified the soil as extremely high contaminated with lead. Anthropogenic activities contribute significantly to the elevated level of lead in the studied areas. This poses serious debilitating effects on the agro – ecosystems, since lead has no known essential functions in plants metabolism.