RP-Department of Agricultural Resources Management (ARM)

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Browsing RP-Department of Agricultural Resources Management (ARM) by Author "Bebe, B"

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    Lead and Copper Levels in the Soil, Water, Serum and Tissues of Livestock Feeding on Dumpsite Waste in Urban Slums of Industrial Towns in Western Kenya
    (2013) Osuga, Isaac M.; Maina, N J; Muleke, C I; Mutai, K J; Karubiu, O N; Bebe, B
    Knowledge of toxic metal levels in livestock feeding on dumpsite waste is important for assessing the effects of pollutants in animals and contaminant intakes by human. A study was conducted in western Kenya to determine the lead and copper levels in the soil, water, serum and tissues of livestock feeding on refuse dumpsite waste in Webuye and Mumias urban towns suspected to be polluted with these metals. Indigenous free ranging cattle, sheep, goats and chicken were investigated. The samples: soil (5), water (5), dumpsite wastes (7), serum (76) and 17 kidney/liver were analyzed. Lead and copper levels were determined by the conventional aqua regia digestion protocol and read using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean lead and copper levels in the soil and water of 1.16 – 2.86mg/kg and 0.001mg/L were below acceptable risk limits of 5 – 25mg/kg and 0.015mg/L, respectively. The mean lead levels in serum of cattle, sheep, goats and chicken were 0.86, 0.82, 0.54mg/L and 0.76, 0.46, 0.21mg/L in Bungoma and Mumias towns respectively, and they exceeded acceptable risk limit levels of 0.01mg/L. The lead levels in kidney/livers of cattle, shoats and chicken were 1.2; 1.5; 1.0mg/kg respectively, and exceeded the acceptable risk limits of 0.5 mg/kg. Based on this study, the lead and copper levels in the soil, water and dumpsite wastes in Bungoma and Mumias towns are below the acceptable risk limits. However due to bio-accumulation process observed in animal tissues, there is need to continuously monitor the status of these heavy metals and create public awareness on good animal feeding practices in the urban slums to avoid mineral toxicity in animals and man through the food chain.