Browsing by Author "Zemenay Kekebo"

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    Determination of Selected Heavy Metals in Ocimum Sanctum Sample Using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS)
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-08) Zemenay Kekebo; Negussuie Negash
    Food additive plant have worldwide applications for its acceptability, aroma, color and sweetness of the food. Among the food additive plants of Ethiopia, Ocimum sanctum (in Amharic Besobela) is one of the well celebrated and most widely used home food additive mostly used during the preparation of pepper (berbere in Amharic) to improve the aroma and acceptability of pepper (berbere). The sampling technique used to carry out the analysis was purposive for the community in the selected area because the plant was widely used as food additive, the sample were selected from Bishoftu district in Gudino kebele. The aim of this study is to determine the concentration of selected heavy metal in holy basil (Besobela)sample. For the study 0.5-gram powdered sample that taken from Bishoftu district was digested by mixing 3ml of 69%HNO3and 1 ml of 70% perchloric acid, HClO4 at the temperature of 2700C for 2:40’. The contents of the selected heavy metals (Cr, Pb Cu, Cd, and Zn) in holy basil were determined using FAAS and the obtained concentrations of these metals were compared with limit values set by WHO. The mean content of the selected heavy metals was determined from triplicate samples of holy basil, the mean concentrations of heavy metals analyzed in holy basil samples obtained in mg/l were; Cu(0.373±0.151), Zn(0.832±0.045), Pb(0.415±0.0027), Cd(0.0288± 0.008 ) and Cr(BDL).The mean concentration of heavy metals obtained in holy basil were in the order of Zn> Cu>Pb> Cd and Cr was BDL. The concentration of lead analyzed in holy basil sample exceeded the maximum allowable concentration given by WHO. But the concentration of other metals Zn, Cu, Cr, and Cd were below the guideline set by WHO. The level of analyzed metals in this study are both higher and lower than the concentration of metals reported in different literatures.