Heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, Cr, Mn, Zn) Contents in Ungulates of Ogun State Agricultural Farm Settlement, Ago - Iwoye, Nigeria

Abstract

Heavy metals are natural components of the earth's crust which can neither be degraded nor destroyed and were known as trace elements as they occur in minute concentrations in biological systems.  This study was aimed to investigate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the commonly consumed duikers in an agricultural farm settlement. Commercially available four duikers (Cephalophus spp.) were collected for four weeks and four organs (skin, lungs, kidney and liver) from each sample were used. All the organs sampled were subjected to 7 heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cr and Cd) tests using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (VGB 210 System) following standard procedure. All data were subjected to statistical analysis to find out the significant difference of heavy metal in each organ of and their accumulation effects. Heavy metals concentration in Cephalophus spp was in descending order of Cd (0.29±0.02 - 0.92±0.01) < Pb (0.52±0.03-1.08±0.06) < Cr (0.78±0.05-2.47±0.19) < Cu (5.05±0.30-13.35±0.54) < Mn (7.30±0.49-14.20±1.06) < Zn (75.52±3.04-125.28±10.57) < Fe (381.52±14.25-761.40±5.76). They accumulated the metals in ascending order Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cd > Cr > Pb for skin, Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr > Cd > Pb for liver, Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Cd for lung and Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr > Pb > Cd for kidney. Variability of heavy metals in Cephalophus species may not be due to the differences in the animal diet and habitat, but, the level of acute or chronic contamination of their diet and habitat.