Trace and Heavy Metals Status in Selected Staple Foods and Associated Health Risk in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining Vicinity in Kuchiko-Hausa, Gurara LGA, Niger State, Nigeria.

The unwanted release of environmental contaminants predisposed by mining activities had reached an alarming proportion that deserves attention. Hence, the purpose of this study was to determine the degree of trace metals contamination in selected staple foods consumed around the artisanal and small-scale gold mining vicinity in Kuchiko-Hausa, Gurara LGA of Niger State Nigeria. To this end, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Obtained values were used to evaluate the degree of soil pollution and plant contamination using physicochemical analysis, bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor of metals into plant in surrounding mine site. Cu, Zn, Fe and Cr were detected in all the leafy vegetable samples. Zn and As were detected in all cereals and guinea corn samples respectively. While Cu, Zn and Fe were detected in all tuber samples, Cr was detected only in the powdered yam samples. All detected trace metals in the samples except Zn (among the cereals) and As (in the guinea corn samples) were all lower than the WHO permissible limits. Periodic and systematic study of the investigated and other metals concentrations is therefore recommended since long-term exposure of these metals poses significant health risk for human, animals and plants.