Heavy Metals in Five Leafy Vegetables From Urban and Periurban Sites in Ngaoundere, Cameroon

Heavy metal concentrations were estimated in selected five leary vegetables (solanum nigrum,brassica oleraceae, lactuca sativa , amaranthus hybridus and corchorus olitoriusi from urban and peri urbansites in ngaoundere (cameroon) using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (aas). vegetable sampleswere collected at the usual stage of harvesting. the highest concentrations of fe (673.92 rng/kg ow),cu (10.42 mg/kg) and pb (34.39 mg/kg dw) were recorded in lactuca sa/iva, zn (86.92 mg/kg dw) in solanumnigrum, cd (0.93 mglkg ow) in b. oleracea and ni (16.91 mg/kg dw) in corchorus olitorius. some of theconcentrations of ni and pb in vegetables exceeded the critical level for plant growth. the transportationindex (ti) indicated that cu and pb were more accumulated in roots than in aerial parts of leafy vegetables.vegetables were more contaminated in urban site than in periurban site. in all farms, the lead concentrationsin all vegetables exceeded the fao/who maximum recommended level in leary vegetable for humanconsumption, while all vegetables from only urban sites had some cd concentrations that were higher thanlimits set by fao/who. so, the vegetables produced especially in urban sites in ngaoundere are not suitablefor human consumption.