Evaluation of physicochemical properties and heavy metal speciation of groundwater in Ifetedo and Garage Olode, Osun State, Nigeria.

To a large extent, public health can be prevented from being compromised by having access to potable water whose physicochemical fingerprints conform to the WHO Guidelines for drinking water. This study was carried out to assess the physicochemical properties and heavy metals speciation of groundwater in Nigeria. Water samples from thirteen sites were collected for three months and analysed for levels of pH, conductivity, nitrate, sulphate, phosphate, and heavy metals using standard methods. The results of the analysis revealed that the respective mean temperature, conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, and oxygen reduction potential of Ifetedo sites were 27.57 ± 0.66 °C, 318.93 ± 108.58 µS/cm, 5.29 ± 0.20, 207.40 ± 73.58 mg/L, and 265.17 ± 11.29 mV, while those of Garage Olode were 28.53 °C, 275.04 ± 133.75 µS/cm, 5.23 ± 0.04, 177.66 ± 89.37 mg/L, and 270.43 ± 37.75 mV. Total mean levels (µg/mL) of heavy metals ranged from 0.04 ± 0.01 Cd to 26.21 ± 3.63 Mn at Ifetedo, while at Garage Olode, the range was between 0.02 ± 0.00 Cd and 14.49 ± 5.70 Mn. The respective ranges of mean values (µg/mL) of exchangeable metals were 0.01 ± 0.00 Cd to 10.64 ± 1.20 Mn and 0.01 ± 0.00 to 7.53 ± 2.57 Mn at Ifetedo and Garage Olode. Going by WHO provision for drinking water, the study concluded that the levels of heavy metals in the potable water samples could constitute serious health hazards over prolonged usage unless some water treatment protocols are adopted.

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and potentially toxic metals in commonly consumed beef sausage roll products in Nigeria.

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially toxic metals (PTMs) were determined in the commonly consumed beef sausage roll products (coded BS1 - BS6) in Nigeria. This was done in order to assess the safety of regular consumption of these products with respect to the substances determined. Three batches of six samples of beef sausage roll products were collected from Ile-Ife, Osun sate, Nigeria. A part of the pretreated sample was Soxhlet extracted using n-hexane and analyzed with Gas Chromatography coupled with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) to identify and quantify each of the PAHs in the sample, while Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) was used to profile the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pd, Mn and Zn in the digested sausage roll samples. Levels of PAHs in the samples ranged from 1.84 µg/g of Acenaphthylene in BS5 to 282.83 µg/g of Benzo[k]fluoranthene in BS1. Concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene in all the samples were higher than the guideline value of 0.003 mg/kg/day. For PTMs, a range of 0.075 µg/g As in both BS1 and BS6 to 2.950 µg/g Cu in BS3 was obtained. The study concluded that both PAHs and PTMs occurred in the samples at levels that called for caution on the part of consumers to prevent health infarctions that might be associated with prolonged regular and large consumption of beef sausage roll products.