Trace elements concentrations in soil contaminate corn in the vicinity of a cement-manufacturing plant: potential health implications

Background Cultivated lands in the vicinity of industry are vulnerable due to trace element releases from industrial activities. One such situation concerns the surrounding of the largest cement-manufacturing plant in sub-Saharan Africa, located in Obajana, Nigeria. Objective This study aimed at examining the trace element concentrations in the soil as they contaminate corn crops in the vicinity of a cement manufacturing plant. A case study of the cement-manufacturing plant located in Obajana, Nigeria is presented. Methods We used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer to analyse for total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium(Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) concentrations and microwave-induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometer to measure total iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents in 89 samples of corn and surface soil (0–15 cm) from five farmlands including reference farmland and evaluated health hazard of human exposure to the trace elements via the consumption of corn cultivated in the area. Results The results showed the average Cr concentrations in µg/g dry weight (±standard error of the mean) in corn ranged from 2.08 ± 0.17 to 3.56 ± 0.65 in all the farmlands including control, while the mean Pb levels in µg/g dry weight (± standard error of the mean) in corn extended from 0.23 ± 0.03 to 0.38 ± 0.02 in the farmlands downwind of the cement plant. The Cr values were several factors higher than the stable concentration range of 0.01 to 0.41 µg/g reported in cereal grains, while the Pb values exceeded the limit of 0.2 µg/g set by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization in grains. Lead is a trace element of environmental concern and its average levels in the farmlands downwind of the plant were found to be several orders of magnitude higher than the values in µg/g dry weight (± standard error of the mean) (0.01 ± 0.00 to 0.02 ± 0.00) observed in the farmlands upwind of the plant and were statistically significant ( p < 0.0001). Impact statement Our findings provide the first health hazard assessment from the consumption of corn cultivated in the vicinity of the largest cement-manufacturing plant in Nigeria as far as we know.