Browsing by Author "Mensah, Nicholina"

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    Exposure of heavy metals in manihot esculenta from some selected mining communities
    (KNUST, 2019-05) Mensah, Nicholina
    Cassava remains the largest agricultural commodity produced in Ghana and it can grow on poor soils, easily propagated, needs little cultivation and tolerates periodic and extended periods of droughts. Natural and anthropogenic activities have made heavy metals ubiquitous in the environment which exposes humans via several pathways especially through the food chain. In this study, cassava samples were collected from some selected mining communities within three districts all in the eastern region of Ghana. The samples were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS) for Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd). The concentration of chemical in food, the mass of food consumed per day and body weight, were fitted using the @ Risk software. Lead and cadmium levels in the areas ranged from 0.27 – 4.45 mg/kg and 0.0006 – 0.0017 mg/kg, respectively. The lead range recorded higher values than the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Standard. The estimated daily intake of lead from the study was higher than the acceptable daily intake level. Furthermore, the central tendencies of the estimated cancer risk (ECR) for lead was above the acceptable limits. It can be concluded that samples from most of the areas were not safe for consumption since they recorded high levels of lead than the acceptable limits.