Effects of Waste Dump on the Quality of Plants Cultivated Around Mpape Dumpsite FCT Abuja, Nigeria

This paper is aimed at investigating the uptake of heavy metals by plan, since these plants are being consumed directly by people. The study was conducted within a dumpsite located at Mpape in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Federal Capital Territory Abuja. Metals are essential for maintaining human health throughout life. Intake of heavy metal contaminated vegetables may pose a risk to the human health. Plants take in minerals from soil media or air through their roots or foliage. Understanding the distribution of some trace metals in some common vegetables and tuber crops is important for establishing baseline concentrations from which anthropogenic effects can be measured. The trace metal distribution in some selected vegetables and tuber crop cultivated around Mpape Dumpsite were determine. All the parameters investigated were found present in the three plants species analysed. The concentrations of heavy metals in all the samples cultivated around the dumpsite were higher than those from the control site and they are also above the FEPA limit except Ion and Zinc in spinach that was within the limit. It is important to educate the farmers on the best farming practice and regular monitoring of heavy metal contamination should be encouraged in order to avoid possible consumption of contaminated vegetables.Keywords: Waste dump, Heavy metals, Quality, up-take, Vegetables, Tuber crop

The Effects of Abattoir Waste on Water Quality in Gwagwalada-Abuja, Nigeria

This paper examined the impact of abattoir wastes on water quality around an abattoir site in Gwagwalada. The work was premised on the fact that untreated wastes from the abattoir are discharged directly into open drainage which flows into a nearby stream. Leachates from dumped and decomposed wastes have also been observed to percolate into soil, and also flow into the stream. Water samples were collected from four points along the stream and subjected to laboratory analysis for heavy metal contents (Lead (Pb), Iron (Fe), Cupper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Aluminium (Al) Cyanide (Cn), Boron (B), and Nickel (Ni)., as well as some physical and chemical properties [such as pH, Dissolved Oxygen, salinity, conductivity, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)]. The student t –test, and the Analysis of Variance were utilized to determine variations in concentrations of the analysed properties. It was discovered that most of the analysed properties of the water such as:- pH (5.75), Filterable Solid (0.06), DO (5.15), TDS (153.75), Cd. (0.11)Cu(0.25)B (0.14) are still below the nationally and internationally accepted limits. Despite that, continuous discharge of these wastes into the stream however, may in no distant time, pose a threat to human health. The paper thus concludes by recommending that a mechanism be put in place for the treatment of these abattoir wastes before they are then properly disposed.Keywords: Abattoir; Wastes; Water quality, Pollutio