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Abstrato

Determination of some trace elements in water samples within kano metropolis

Ogbonna O, Jimoh W.L, Awagu E. F. and Bamishaiye E.I.

This research was conducted for the sole purpose of measuring the concentration of some trace metals in some water samples within Kano Metropolis. For this purpose, twenty each of different water samples were randomly collected to serve as the subject of the study. These water samples comprised of bore hole water samples, sachet water samples, packaged bottled water samples, pump water samples and well water samples. Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to determine dissolved analytes in aqueous samples after suitable filtration, evaporation and acid preservation. Prior to analysis, the water samples were pre-concentrated and the residue dissolved in O.IM HNO3. The analytes measured include Copper, iron, lead, Zinc and arsenic. The highest concentration of iron and lead was detected in bottled water; borehole contains the highest concentration of Copper while the highest concentration, of Zinc was detected in pump water. Cadmium was not detected in any of the water samples while arsenic was highest in well water. The concentrations of iron, zinc and copper metals were found to be below World Health Organization limit in some samples, while arsenic in some samples were found to be outside the permissible limit. It was therefore concluded that proper water treatment procedure which will reduce the metals above safe limit should be embarked on, which will eliminate the accumulation of toxic waste in both human and animals.