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Assessment of heavy metals in chicken feeds sold in south eastern, Nigeria

C. O. B OKOYE, C. N. IBETO and J. N. IHEDIOHA

This study was carried out to determine the concentration of zinc, iron, manganese, copper, lead, cadmium, nickel and cobalt in chicken feeds obtained in the south eastern part of Nigeria. All mineral elements, whether considered to be essential or potentially toxic, can have an adverse effect upon the humans and animals if included in the diet at excessively high concentrations. Heavy metals normally get into the environment through fossil fuels combustion and indiscriminate waste management. Various Organisms within a given ecosystem are actually contaminated along their cycles of food chain with heavy metals. Humans are also in turn exposed to them by consuming the contaminated plants and animals. Four brands (starter, grower, finisher and layer) of three feeds (Gold medal, Top and Vital) sold commercially, were purchased from different markets in the south east. The samples were prepared for analysis by dry ashing and the heavy metals determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The concentrations obtained in mg/kg were in the range of 34.038 to 49.950, 50.575 to 170.075, 6.52 to 14.20, 1.10 to 7.85, 0.038 to 0.463, 2.250 to 4.875 and 0.613 to 3.200 for zinc, iron, copper, lead, cadmium, nickel and cobalt respectively. The essential elements were low in the feed and there were high concentrations of lead in the feed samples. This could be attributed to anthropogenic sources of lead pollution in the environment especially fossils fuels combustion. There is a great need to adopt the alternative renewable energy sources such as biodiesel and bioethanol. Keywords: Heavy