ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION OF DUMPSITES SOILS USED FOR AMARANTHUS PRODUCTION IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Vegetable production on dumpsites soils in Imo State has become popular owing to quicker biomass production and income generation. Sequel to this, an assessment of heavy metals in such soils was conducted at Irette, Ogbaku, Orogwe, Nekede and Akwakuma dumpsites alongside areas without refuse dumps (control sites).soil samples were collected from each dumpsites as well as from control sites using soil auger at the depth of 0 – 20 cm. vegetable (Amaranth) was collected from each dumpsite and control sites. Both soil and Amaranth were prepared and analyzed for heavy metals: Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn). Results showed that heavy metal concentrations of soil and in Amaranthus cultivated on soils characterized in dumpsites are significantly (P=0.05) higher than the adjacent (control) sites. also result showed that Cr, Cu and Zn contents of soil are lower (3.06,109.70 and 21.29mg/kg respectively) than recommended limit by World Health Organization (1996) (100,140 and 50 mg/kg respectively), the range within the vegetable (amaranth) were above the normal limit suggesting that vegetable has a way of concentrating metals in their tissues. Therefore based on this study, farmers should avoid growing vegetables (Amaranth) in dumps to avoid food contamination and health hazard. This study was conducted within Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Owerri is in the Southeast Agro – ecological Zone of Nigeria and is located at 5 0 30’ and 5 0 57’N and longitude 7 0 04’ and 7 0 26’ E. Soils are derived from coastal plain sand (Ofomata 1975). It lies within the humid tropics with annual rainfall of about 2500mm and rainfall pattern is bimodal.