Determination of Heavy Metals Concentrations in Soil and Tomato Plant (Solanum lycopersicom) from Ajiwa Fadama farms, Katsina State

The study aimed to determine heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb concentration from soil and tomato plants (root stem and fruits) produced from Ajiwa Fadama farm.  Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable cultivated in Ajiwa fadama sites and is also commonly consumed in Katsina and Nigeria at large.  Heavy metal concentrations from soil and tomato plants were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS).  The results of heavy metal revealed that lead (Pb) has the highest concentration, followed by Zn, Cu and Ni as the lowest in both soil and plant parts.  However, the concentration of all examined heavy metals in the soils and tomato plants was lower than the permissible values approved by FAO/WHO except for lead (Pb), which has a higher concentration above the permissible limits of 0.3 ppm.  The findings of this study indicate possible exposure to lead by the consumers in the sampling area.  Further studies are recommended to analyze the heavy metals of irrigation water and organic and inorganic fertilizers used.