Investigation of Lead Concentration in Cow Teeth within Ota an Urban Town of Abeokuta

Abstract

In this study, three (3) sites of cattle grazing and slaughtering for marketing were identified in Ota due to population growth of this industrial city in Ogun state Nigeria. Identified cattle for slaughtered from these sites (A, B and C) were marked and their teeth collected; analyzed for the presence of Lead using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) model S4 series, Model (GBC 906) (USA). The highest mean level of Lead concentrations present in the teeth of the cow slaughtered were recorded for each site as Site A = 0.0730 ± 0.00954μg/ml, Site B = 0.2585 ± 0.00853 mg/ml; and for Site C = 0.1111 ± 0.02315 mg/ml. From the results obtained, we can conclude that Lead pollution in the environment is of ecological concern. Of these 3 sites, between 15% and 35% of all cattle had lead concentrations consistent with acute lead poisoning (greater than 0.29 mg/ml), and between 33% and 48% of these cows were in the high-normal range (0.1– 0.34 mg/ml).