Heavy Metals Levels and Human Health Risk of Cultivated Banana (Musa acuminata) and Pawpaw (Carica papaya) Fruits from Contaminated Soil in Etelebou Dumpsite in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Fresh fruits are of great importance due to their nutritional values and phytochemical properties, which include vitamins, mineral salts, dietary fibres, antioxidants, phytoestrogens, etc. However, the suitability and healthiness of fresh fruit are alarming due to environmental contaminants in soils and poor agricultural practices across the globe. In this study, the levels (mg/kg) of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, As, V, Mn, Co, Fe, Cu and Mn) in Musa acuminata and Carica papaya fruits and soil collected from Etelebou dumpsite in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State were evaluated using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The levels (mg/kg) of all the heavy metals in the soil were higher than the levels found in the fruits (Carica papaya and Musa acuminata). However, the mean levels of the heavy metals in both fruits and soil were all lower than the standard limit of the World Health Organization (WHO) except for Cr. The results also revealed that Fe, Zn, Ni, Mn and Cu ranked highest in the transfer and bioaccumulation capacity from the soil to the plant fruits. Furthermore, the human health risk study shows no significant toxicity effects at the moment for non-carcinogens. However, the carcinogenic study shows the probability of an individual contracting cancer over a long period of time (70 years, the assumed lifetime) due to the bio-accumulative properties of these metals. Therefore, the cultivation of crop fruits and harvesting of self-grown crop fruits on the dumpsite should be discouraged or avoided to avoid adverse health challenges in the future.