Author(s)

U. A. Birnin-Yauri^1*, M. K. Musa¹, S. M. Alhaji²

¹Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
²Department of Chemistry, Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Nigeria.

The study was conducted to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Co, Mn, Fe, Cr, Cd and Pb) in the liver, kidney and flesh of Cattle, Sheep and Goats from Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government areas of Zamfara State Nigeria. The levels of heavy metals in the liver, kidney and flesh of beef, mutton and caprine ranged from 56 to 549 μg·g^-1 for Zn; 109 to 576 μg·g^-1 for Fe; 0.0 to 4.0 μg·g^-1 for Pb; 2.52 to 13.25 μg·g^-1 for Mn; 0.00 to 19.64 μg·g^-1 for Cr; 0.00 to 0.25 μg·g^-1 for Cd; 0.00 to 2.71 μg·g^-1 for Co and 3.59 to 538 μg·g^-1 for Cu. The concentration of Cr, Pb and Mn in the kidneys and livers of the samples were observed to be higher than the maximum allowable level. Similarly, the exception of Cr in the liver of sheep and goat from Anka and liver of sheep from Bukkuyum, Pb in some liver and kidney samples and Mn in some liver, kidney samples and flesh of cattle from Anka were found to be polluted and hence unsafe for consumption.

Heavy Metals, Caprine, Mutton, Beef, Environment, Cattle, Sheep, Goats

Birnin-Yauri, U. , Musa, M. and Alhaji, S. (2018) Determination of Selected Heavy Metals in the Organs of Some Animals Reared in the Gold-Mining Areas of Zamfara State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 7, 188-202. doi: 10.4236/jacen.2018.74016.