Toxicologia Ambiental e Analítica

Atomic Absorbtion Spectrometric Determination of the Concentration of Fe, Mn, Pb and Cd in Fruits of Mango, Avocado and Papaya from Gondar "Gebeya" Market Gondar, Ethiopia

Abstract

Senait Aklog Tesfaw

In order to assess the levels and impact of different trace metals on human health a study has been carried out to determine the levels of heavy metals present in commonly edible fruits available in local market of Gondar, city Ethiopia. For this purpose, total of three samples of different fruits were purchased. The study was conducted to determine the concentration of trace metals Fe, Mn, Pb, and Cd in fruits of Mango, Avocado and Papaya. The dried samples were digested in 4:2 mixtures of nitric acid (HNO₃) and hydrogen per oxide (H₂O₂) by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). The studies average result were in range of, 50.0± 12.5 μg/g Fe, 20.825 ± 3.6 μg/g Pb, 27.77 ± 4.8 μg/g Cd 37.500 ± 0.02 μg/g Mn , For Mango , 22.075 ± 7.2 μg/g Fe, 14.57 ± 3.6 μg/g Pb, 21.00 ± 4.8 μg/g Cd, 0.17 ± 0.05 μg/g Mn, For Avocado, 23.075 ± 11 μg/g Fe , 14.57 ± 14.5 μg/g Pb, 19.47 ± 4.8 μg/g Mn, 37.500 ± 2.1μ g/g Cd For Papaya. The result of the study indicates that all types of fruits contain considerable concentration of trace metals. The concentrations of iron in all fruits were higher than other trace elements. But the amount of other metals such as Pb, Cd and Mn were significantly different from other studies and WHO/FAO recommended values this shows that the fruit farms around Gondar town was highly contaminated. Furthermore, the developed method was checked by using different method validation and recovery test and so the digestion procedure provides an easy method for the digestion of fruit samples and percent recovery obtained was above 95% with a very good LOD and LOQ values.