title: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in crop plants grown near Almeda Textile Factory, Adwa, Ethiopia.
abstract: The contents of heavy metals cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) present in water (wastewater and wetland), soils, and food crops collected from the vicinity of Almeda Textile Factory were quantified using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAAS) in order to assess the environmental impact of the textile factory. The contents of heavy metals determined in the wastewater were found below the recommended limit set by WHO and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) except for Cr, which was found slightly higher than WHO permissible limit. Besides, the contents of the heavy metals determined in soils were below the permissible level of FAO/WHO and Canada maximum allowable limits. Moreover, only the concentrations of Cd and Pb were found above the permissible level set by FAO/WHO in the crop plants studied. Generally, the mean concentrations of heavy metals in the plants were in the decreasing order of: Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Co > Cr > Cd. Nevertheless, higher bioconcentration factor (BCF) was found for Cd (0.108-1.156) followed by Zn (0.081-0.499). In conclusion, comparison of heavy metal concentrations with the permissible limits in all collected sample types i.e. water, soil, and crop plants did not show significant pollution from the factory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, P. O. Box, 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia. hintsushgk@gmail.com.|, P. O. Box: 3070, Mekelle, Ethiopia. hintsushgk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hintsa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gitet
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, P. O. Box, 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Masho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilawie
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, P. O. Box, 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Mehari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muuz
authors.affiliation: Ezana Mining Development PLC, Ezana Mining Analytical Laboratory, P. O. Box, 788, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yirgaalem
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Weldegebriel
authors.affiliation: Ezana Mining Development PLC, Ezana Mining Analytical Laboratory, P. O. Box, 788, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Dawit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gebremichael
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, P. O. Box, 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Desta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gebremedhin
mesh_terms: D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005002:Ethiopia; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013783:Textile Industry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Anthropogenic; Crop plants; Food chain; Heavy metals; Monitoring