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Journal of Applied Sciences

Year: 2007 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 3 | Page No.: 465-471
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Authors

F.I. Eruyogho

J.M. Okuo

C.L. Ndiokwere

Keywords

Research Article

A Survey of Levels of Some Heavy Metals in Scalp Hair of Urban Dwellers: A Case Study

F.I. Eruyogho, J.M. Okuo and C.L. Ndiokwere
Fifty eight samples of scalp hair were collected from donors of different trades in fourteen locations in Benin City and its environs and analyzed for Pb, Ni, V, Cr, Cd and Zn by atomic absorption spectroscopic method. The results obtained were subjected to data analysis such as factor analysis, correlation coefficient matrix and cluster analysis in order to determine the contributing sources and the behaviour of these metals. The highest mean levels of 8.60, 0.95 and 5.53 μg g-1 were obtained for Pb, Ni and Zn from donors: Traffic wardens, Battery chargers and Vulcanizers, respectively. For the control mean levels of 0.44, 0.05 and 0.20 μg g-1 were also determined for Pb, Ni and Zn for the non exposed persons in the same age group as the traffic wardens and small- scale entrepreneurs. Two factors were identified as source contribution from the result of factor analysis and this was in agreement with the cluster analysis and correlation coefficient matrix for both the locations and the metals. There was a significant effect of vehicular emission, industrial or commercial activities in the result obtained from donors in Benin metropolis than that of the controls, but no correlation between the levels of these metals and ages of the donors was established.
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