Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils Samples from Lambun Sarki Irrigation Sites of Katsina Metropolis

Increase in environmental pollution caused by heavy metals released from anthropogenic activities due to ongoing rapid economic boost of industrialization and urbanization is becoming a global environmental problem due to their toxic and non-biodegradable nature. In this study, determination of heavy metals was conducted in soil sample obtained from Lambun Sarki irrigation site in Katsina metropolis, Nigeria. The sample was prepared in the laboratory using aqua regia acid digestion. Afterward, heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) and the results obtained revealed that the soil from the area was heavily contaminated with Cadmium and Lead in comparison to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) permissible limits. Further, observation shows that there exists a gradual red-shift in the level of these heavy metals as evident from the results obtained. The contamination of the soil by Pb and Cd could be associated with the anthropogenic activities being carried out around the farmland and the sewage water used in irrigation