May 2020 Vol. 8 No.5

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Original Research Article

Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on health risk of heavy metals to the general public in Owerri, Nigeria via consumption of food crops and fruits

^*1Ohadoma S.C., ²Akuodor G.C., ³Osuala F.N., ⁴Amazu L.U., ⁴Okolo C.E. and ⁴Okoro E.P.

¹Department of Pharmacology, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria
²Department of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria.
³Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Elele, Nigeria
⁴Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: chodraf@yahoo.com
Phone: +2348035081946

Received: 02 May 2020 I Accepted: 20 May 2020 I Published: 06 June 2020
Copyright © 2020 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Abstract

Through various sources resulting from an increase in industrial pollution, man-made or natural activities, humans are exposed either knowingly or unknowingly to heavy metals. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the global economic uncertainties and disruption of activities forcing a slowdown globally and lockdown in some countries including Nigeria. This study assessed the influence of COVID-19 on heavy metals that are persistent environmental pollutants namely: Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), and Lead (Pb), in fruits, food crops, and soil samples from Owerri environs in Nigeria, and estimated the potential public health risks. The samples were washed with deionized water, oven-dried at 70-80 ⁰C for 24 h and ground to powder. The samples were digested with a gradient mixture of perchloric acid and nitric acid. Unicam Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer was employed in heavy metals analyses. The concentration of Cd, Ni, and Pb in this study was within the maximum allowable concentrations for agricultural soil according to European Union (EU).Taken together, sampled food crops and fruits had 65% of non-detectable level of Cadmium; Lead, 40%, and Nickel, 35% of non-detectable levels. There were however, incidences of detectable levels of the heavy metals but not all of them exceeded the maximum allowable concentration recommended by relevant commissions. COVID-19 pandemic with the attendant lockdown of human activities in terms of industrialization and urbanization may have reduced heavy metal public health risk.

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic, Dietary intake, Food crops, Heavy metals, Risk assessment