Comparative Determination of Heavy Metals in Flower farm and Road Side Soils Collected from Holeta by Using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

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Date

2023-06

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

In this study the concentration of heavy metals: Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb, Fe, Mg and Ca were determined in soil by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). The soil samples were collected from a flower farm (Holeta) and from the roadside around the flower farm. After proper sample preparation, a 0.5 g of dried powdered soil sample was digested with 3ml of HNO3, 1ml of HCl at 240 0C for 2:45 hours and the concentration of the selected heavy metals were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results showed that the soil samples in the two sampling areas contain high amount of iron and magnesium. As exception zinc being which is higher in the flower farm than on the road side, the mean metal concentration (mg/kg dry weight) in both soil samples are as follows: Fe (8807-9128) ˃ Mg (1023-1119) ˃ Mn (399-964) ˃ Ca (60-118) ˃ Zn (96.1-150.5) ˃ Cr (34- 48.54) ˃ Cu (30.5-35.6) ˃ Ni (21-33.43). A small amount of nickel was observed in both sample sites, while cadmium and lead were below the limit of detection. The detected metals in the present study were also compared with WHO recommended maximum permissible limit. Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca and Zn were above the WHO standard limit, but Cu, Ni and Cr were below the recommended permissible limit.At 95% confidence level between the two samples collected from the two sample sites the value obtained from ANOVA indicates that there is a significant difference among the mean concentrations of all the selected metals (P˂0.05).

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Soil, Heavy Metal, Environmental Pollution, Pesticides, Fertilizer, Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)

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